11/11/2025
As the busy shopping season approaches, stay informed with these tips to help recognize impersonation scams - when a scammer pretends to be a trusted company and reaches out to try to get access to sensitive information like personal or financial information, or account details.
Tips to help stay safe:
Always use the actual mobile app or website for all your shopping needs, including customer service, account changes, delivery tracking, and refund status.
Remember, companies will never ask you to make payments or to provide payment information (including gift cards or wire transfers) for products or services over the phone.
Consider setting up 2-step verification when available to your online accounts to help prevent unauthorized account access.
Save time and stay secure using a passkey where possible. It’s a safer way to sign in than using passwords and it works with the same face, fingerprint, or PIN you already use to unlock your device.
Scammers might try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they're asking. Be careful any time someone tries to convince you that you must act now.
Example impersonation scam tactics that you could receive:
Fake messages claiming to be about delivery or account issues.
Third-party social media posts and ads with deals that seem too good to be true. Shop directly on websites or mobile apps for authentic offers.
Messages through unofficial channels asking for your password or payment information.
Unfamiliar links asking you to verify your account credentials through fake or phishing websites. Businesses will never send emails asking customers to verify their account credentials.
Unsolicited phone calls claiming to be from tech support or other agencies.
When in doubt, err on the side of caution and ask for help. Be safe out there!
