A Wonderful Offer

By Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
United Kingdom
February 17, 2021 10:22am CST
I got a wonderful offer from Amazon - fill in a survey then claim a reward. So I did the survey, just the usual questions - did the parcels arrive on time etc, then saw what the offers were. Any top quality smartphone (worth hundreds of pounds) for just a pound! Wow. It seemed too good to be true but I figured that they have made so much money over the pandemic so they wanted to share a bit with their customers. I started to fill in my bank details for the £1 but then something clicked in my brain. What's that saying? If it seems too good to be true, then it most likely IS. I went back to the start and the Amazon logo was there, and there were reviews from people saying how delighted they were with their phones. But something didn't seem quite right. So I went to the Amazon website and searched for scams - there are so many you wouldn't believe. Anyway, the gist of it was that if it doesn't have amazon.com somewhere in the address the email came from, it's not from them. The offer I had came from '.WinnerAlert/.. <9vE1bEtl4gh@belongkhagava.co.uk>'. So it was a scam and I'd had a lucky escape - they would have emptied my bank account by now. Whew.
44 people like this
44 responses
Marie
@Tampa_girl7 (48890)
• United States
17 Feb 21
Thank goodness you caught it .
9 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
Yes, they almost had me!
5 people like this
Marlina
@marlina (154166)
• Canada
17 Feb 21
Yes, thanks goodness
6 people like this
Anna
@LadyDuck (457412)
• Switzerland
17 Feb 21
As you are in the UK at most you should have received a mail from Amazon.co.uk... Amazon.com asks to be paid in "dollars" not British Pounds.
7 people like this
Anna
@LadyDuck (457412)
• Switzerland
17 Feb 21
@jaboUK I am ordering from Amazon since 2002 and they never offered a reward for reviewing a product I bought or for a survey. I often find emails pretending that "they cannot deliver my Amazon package...", they try.
6 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
@LadyDuck I've only been using Amazon for about a year, so didn't know it was unusual for them to give rewards. I know now.
5 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
Yes I use amazon.com.uk. and pay in pounds. I was just stating what I gleaned from their website - that it must have amazon.com in the email address. In my case it would have the 'uk' added too.
6 people like this
vanny
@vandana7 (98731)
• India
17 Feb 21
Lots of scammers out there..right now. Including job offers.
5 people like this
vanny
@vandana7 (98731)
• India
17 Feb 21
@jaboUK Yes. They are asking a lot of details and resorting to identity theft.
4 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
Job offers too? I didn't know about that, but you're right there are lots of scammers about.
5 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
@vandana7 Oh my goodness!
3 people like this
much2say
@much2say (53918)
• Los Angeles, California
17 Feb 21
Oh my - well I'm glad you didn't go forth with it - that was most certainly a scam !
5 people like this
much2say
@much2say (53918)
• Los Angeles, California
17 Feb 21
@jaboUK These scams are often well crafted - I feel bad for the folks who actually fall victim to them !
4 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
@much2say They are very clever - in this case they even put fake reviews on it. One said that she was sceptical at first but her phone arrived within a couple of days and she was very happy.
4 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
It never crossed my mind that there was anything wrong until I started to put in my bank details. I was lucky and I certainly won't get caught again, learned my lesson.
4 people like this
DianneN
@DianneN (246334)
• United States
17 Feb 21
I'm so glad you realized that. I receive them after I order from Amazon, but delete them immediately without opening them.
4 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
I'll be doing the same as you in the future.
4 people like this
DianneN
@DianneN (246334)
• United States
17 Feb 21
4 people like this
Sunrise Fan
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
17 Feb 21
Good thing you discovered the scam early.
4 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
Too true, I was very lucky.
4 people like this
Sunrise Fan
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
17 Feb 21
@jaboUK Indeed!
4 people like this
snowy
@snowy22315 (169641)
• United States
17 Feb 21
That is good you saw it. I have gotten things like that in my inbox too.
3 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
I've not had anything like this before though I've had phone calls telling me my Amazon Prime has expired. I don't even have Amazon Prime.
3 people like this
Arthur Chappell
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
17 Feb 21
glad you realized in time
3 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
So am I, or I would be considerably poorer by now.
2 people like this
Bobby Larkin
@hostessman (11871)
• Tucson, Arizona
17 Feb 21
good for you JABO there are so many scams out there it unbeliveable
3 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
You're right there - scammers are everywhere. We have to be so vigilant.
2 people like this
Fiacre Banks
@xFiacre (12614)
• Ireland
17 Feb 21
@Jabouk They just keep coming. I keep getting phoned by the National Insurance Office telling me my national insurance number has been compromised and that I should contact them immediately! I tell them to put it in writing.
3 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
They do keep on finding new ways to scam us, don't they? I've had the one telling me there's been a £600 withdrawal from my account and if it wasn't me to press the button. Of course if I did that they would try to get my bank details.
3 people like this
Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (305532)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
17 Feb 21
That's good you caught it before you filled everything in.
3 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
I think my subconscious kicked in and said - whoa!
3 people like this
Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (305532)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
24 Feb 21
@jaboUK I'm sure it did.
1 person likes this
Mary Guice
@Elizaby (6902)
• Pensacola, Florida
17 Feb 21
Glad you caught it. I always check the address on things like that that are sent and if it is not directly from the company that offer immediately goes to trash.I dont hit any links on emails till after I check to see where it is coming from,
3 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
I will do the same as you in the future. This is the first scamming email that I've had, though I've had plenty of scam phone calls.
3 people like this
Thelma
@thelme55 (76477)
• Germany
17 Feb 21
OH my goodness! I am glad you discontinued filing up the form online. You have a guardian angel.
3 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
Yes I think he/she prodded me at just the right time
3 people like this
CarolDM
@CarolDM (203454)
• Nashville, Tennessee
17 Feb 21
This is why I don't do any surveys. Glad you caught this one.
4 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
I don't usually do surveys either - can't be bothered. But this one enticed me in with an 'exciting offer' if I did it.
4 people like this
CarolDM
@CarolDM (203454)
• Nashville, Tennessee
17 Feb 21
@jaboUK They know how to pull you in for sure.
4 people like this
Belle Starr (Iz)
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
17 Feb 21
Oh yes, I get many offers that I just delete but it only takes one unguarded moment to cause a disaster. So glad you didn’t fall for it.
2 people like this
Belle Starr (Iz)
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
18 Feb 21
@jaboUK Oh I know, they do a great job of looking legitimate.
1 person likes this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
18 Feb 21
This had the Amazon logo on it so I thought it was genuine - I know now to look closely at who is sending it.
2 people like this
Anne Marie Guyer
@LeaPea2417 (36399)
• Toccoa, Georgia
17 Feb 21
People have to be so careful these days.
2 people like this
Anne Marie Guyer
@LeaPea2417 (36399)
• Toccoa, Georgia
18 Feb 21
@jaboUK Yes
1 person likes this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
18 Feb 21
The scammers are so clever, but I learnt a lesson from this. Always look at the email address of the sender.
2 people like this
Marlina
@marlina (154166)
• Canada
17 Feb 21
So good that you figured it out, and thanks for sharing this with us here at MyLot.
3 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
Perhaps it may stop someone else being fooled?
2 people like this
Dena Miller
@Dena91 (15843)
• United States
17 Feb 21
Glad that you caught it before giving out your information
3 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
So am I! I'll bet they catch a few people though, it looked so genuine.
3 people like this
NJ Chicaa
@NJChicaa (115921)
• United States
17 Feb 21
Glad you figured it out!
3 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 21
I was lucky that something pinged in my brain - other people may not be so lucky.
3 people like this
Manuela Lopes
@nela13 (55702)
• Portugal
18 Feb 21
I am glad you did the research, there are always people trying to scam us.
2 people like this
Jabo
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
18 Feb 21
Yes scams are all over the place, we have to be so careful.
2 people like this
Manuela Lopes
@nela13 (55702)
• Portugal
22 Feb 21
@jaboUK and sometimes it is almost impossible to notice that it is a scam.
1 person likes this