Mystery scam at Christmas time

[Z3Dreamer]

Amazon account is in DW's name. We began receiving Amazon packages addressed to me. Figured they were gifts. Well, today I opened them. None were gift wrapped. They were cords for phones I don't have. They were wheel/rollers for some furniture I don't own. Women's knee sleeves. All told - 10 or more packages. All were in Amazon packaging.

I have a credit card with a small limit that we use for online shopping. It had 14 charges from Amazon. All in the last 11 days. So, someone hacked my online purchase card. Since I do not use the card that much, I suspect who was hacked, but it is not my job to investigate this hack.

Called Amazon. There is an account in my name, but the email is some other email address. They have cancelled the bogus account and are investigating. Credit card company is doing the same. Amazon doesn't want the stuff back.

So, I will not have any financial loss and the hacker received nothing as all of the packages were shipped to me. All purchases were under $100. Average of $30.

Now with all that background, my question is: How does the hacker profit from this?

 

[RunningBum]

Sounds like the same or similar thing as happened in this recent thread:
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/random-amazon-packages-arriving-not-happy-100882.html

 

[6miths]

The fake account "purchased" the items. So in Amazon's eyes they are a "Verified Purchaser" and when they post reviews for these items (which they are likely the seller or someone hired by or connected with the seller), the review will indicate "Verified Purchaser" on it and makes the (glowing) review more believable to those reading.

I've read a couple articles about this.

Wow isn't that something. I use Fakespot to check things I am unsure about but this is obviously a way around it. I would never have thought. Thanks for sharing.

 

[JoeWras]

So, I will not have any financial loss and the hacker received nothing as all of the packages were shipped to me. All purchases were under $100. Average of $30.

Now with all that background, my question is: How does the hacker profit from this?

Verified purchase reviews. Review scores. Since you found this and reported it, Amazon should cancel those reviews. They usually don't hack the credit card because that wakes up the victim. Still, in the time it took for you to record it, those items had an artificially high rating and potentially thousands of purchases took place.

Sounds like the same or similar thing as happened in this recent thread:
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/random-amazon-packages-arriving-not-happy-100882.html

Yeah, that was my thread. It was a much milder scam since I didn't pay anything and my name wasn't used. I just got the junk mailed to me, a real address.

 

[Z3Dreamer]

Sounds like the same or similar thing as happened in this recent thread:
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/random-amazon-packages-arriving-not-happy-100882.html

This one is different. I looked up recent reviews on Amazon for a handful. I was not there.

 

[JoeWras]

This one is different. I looked up recent reviews on Amazon for a handful. I was not there.

Did you look before you reported?

Even if the reviews are up a few days, this can generate a lot of traffic, especially for cheap junk.

But I agree it is generally different. "Your" scam is more serious than "mine."

 

[Z3Dreamer]

Did you look before you reported?

Even if the reviews are up a few days, this can generate a lot of traffic, especially for cheap junk.

But I agree it is generally different. "Your" scam is more serious than "mine."

I looked after I reported so maybe they pulled them down.

 

[Sarah S]

A number of years ago I had a similar experience that had nothing to do with Amazon. I had a couple of things sent to me that had been ordered online ( one was from Blockbuster- remember them) at different places.the total charges were less than 100 dollars I have never figured out how the person benefited or what the point was