Watch out for the ominous ‘gift card’ sign that Amazon says means you’re being targeted by a dangerous bank-hacking criminal

AMAZON has warned users about an ominous sign that you are being targeted by scammers.

The retail giant said there’s one thing it would never ask for — and if you’re asked, you’re being scammed.

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Gift cards are a common way for criminals to extract money from their victims.

Criminals will ask users to make purchases with gift cards and may, for example, sell them for profit.

But you’ll spend money on gift cards and have nothing to show for it.

“Don’t be pressured into purchasing a gift card,” Amazon explained.

“We will never ask you to purchase a gift card and no legitimate sale or transaction will require you to pay with gift cards.”

Amazon added: “Don’t give gift card details (like your claim code) to someone you don’t know or trust.

“And always take steps to verify the identity of anyone requesting gift card details.”

There are numerous scams involving gift cards.

For example, you may be offered a fake job at Amazon and asked to pay an upfront fee using gift cards.

Or you may be contacted by someone posing as your boss, urgently requesting gift cards for business reasons.

OTHER WARNING SIGNS

Gift card requests aren’t the only sign you’re being scammed.

For example, you may receive messages from scammers about purchasing a product.

This may seem real, but if it claims to be from Amazon, it’s best to log into your account through the official website or app – not through links in the email or message.

This way, you can verify that any claimed order is genuine.

You should also limit yourself to making payments through the website or app.

Amazon notes that it never requests payment over the phone or email – so be careful with these requests.

Likewise, be wary of high-pressure demands from anyone claiming to be from Amazon.

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“Be careful with false urgency. Scammers often try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they are asking,” Amazon explained.

Also, if you receive any strange messages apparently from Amazon, try searching for them online.

If it’s a common scam, there’s a good chance that other people have reported it too.