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FBI and Amazon Warn of Holiday Account Takeover Wave, With Phone Scams the Top Risk

Reports to the FBI’s IC3 now exceed 5,100 this year, with an estimated $262 million lost.

Overview

  • Fresh FBI guidance highlights spoofed calls from fake bank or company staff and urges people to hang up, distrust caller ID, and use verified numbers.
  • Attackers steal logins and one‑time codes via texts, emails, calls, fake sites, and poisoned search ads, then reset passwords and seize accounts.
  • Stolen funds are quickly routed to criminal accounts often tied to cryptocurrency wallets, making recovery difficult once transfers go through.
  • Amazon alerted customers before Black Friday about brand impersonation lures such as fake delivery notices, look‑alike sites, and unsolicited ‘support’ calls.
  • Authorities advise immediate action: contact your bank to request a recall or reversal and a Hold Harmless/indemnity letter, change passwords, report to IC3, and enable stronger authentication such as passkeys.