A New Variation on an Old Scam

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, the Amazon accounts are fairly secure, when most of them have funny business on them, it is normally someone has persuaded the person to give out their details or have very week passwords, e.g. 12345 and use the same password for every account that needs one. If Nigel’s account had been hacked, or someone has produced one in his name, I would think he would know that by now. If Nigel did make an account and has forgotten about it, and hasn’t used it for a while, or has never used it, it would have automatically fell dormant, this is what happened to my original account, as it came to pass that I hadn’t used mine for over a year, and when I tried logging in, it was rejected because the password was not recognised, so I went down the “forgot password” route to no avail, but my problem with that was the new code for resetting it was always sent to my old phone that was no longer active, however, I did gain access to Amazon, but can’t remember how, but it was through a chat room, and told them of my problem, and eventually got a contact number to call. Now when I could speak to a real person, there was no way of sending a code to me at all, as the system would not allow it, and I was told that I should just create a new account with a different email address, and the old account would not work any more, as the time lapse since its last usage had expired. I did appeal to them, that I didn’t want to use a different email address, to which they said that I have to delete my old account, but of course I couldn’t get into it, because the new code couldn’t be sent to me, the guy then said that they could do it from their end, but all my history would go as well, and that meant any warranties etc. could not be honoured, which didn’t matter as I had no current ones, but he had to send me a message to the email address that was associated with my account, requesting permission to delete my account, and I think there was a time frame for me to respond with granting them consent, which I did, and they then said I could make a new account with the same email, after 24 hours, and thus I duly made a new account the next day without any problems.

The fact that they told me that I could make a new account, while the other one was still in their system, makes me believe there would be no problem for Nigel to make a new account. The other thing is, I suppose it is always possible that there is someone else with the same name as Nigel, who has an account, and could be why he is not getting a new code to reset a password.

Regards Nick.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I simply want to be rid of this blasted outfit but they block me at every turn,.

I tried the forgotten password route, and it sent me the temporary one. I entered it and this was the result:

Account locked temporarily
We have detected unusual activity on your account and have locked it temporarily. Please contact customer service for further assistance.

So I tried “Customer Services”. It opened a panel holding these:

Switch accounts

Sign out

[Name]
[E-post address]
 
 
Add account
Learn more about switching accounts.

So I selected “Learn more…”. This gives you the instructions for that and that alone, followed by asking if the information was helpful! I pressed “NO” and the “Not what I am looking for” options and this appeared;

Thanks. While we’re unable to respond directly to your feedback, we’ll use this information to improve our online Help.

In other words, Amazon does not care. The only comfort is that it has locked my “account”, but only “temporarily” whatever that means.

I am certain I have never bought anything from this outfit, but am unable to find my previous password list (it is not on the computer!) to verify this.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Here’s my last-gasp attempt at trying to help, Nigel:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=ThMznYkNjxdOL3GTah

… if you don’t get anywhere with that, I am completely lost.

Have a safe journey 🙂

MichaelG.

[Nigel Graham 2]

On Nigel Graham 2 Said:

 

I am certain I have never bought anything from this outfit, but am unable to find my previous password list (it is not on the computer!) to verify this.

If you had bought anything in the past, Amazon would have sent emails to you at that time. How much of a squirrel are you? (Won’t help with the password but would verify a previous order).

I guess the “suspicious activity” is that an account that hasn’t been used for a long time has suddenly woken up.

(You keep a password list on your computer?!?)

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I am very grateful for all the suggestions and help here, but please believe me…

It does not matter what I do. I can NOT get any sense out of Amazon.

Everything I try is so well blocked that I do suspect an attack.

 

Michael –

That link opens a page explaining a “held” account and says:

To regain access to your Amazon account:
1 ) Check your email or text messages for an “Account on hold” notification from Amazon.
2) Sign in to your Amazon account.
3) Complete the form and include necessary attachments.

Point 1) above. I have received no such messages… If I had it was a long time ago, and may have looked fraudulent!

Point 2) It is impossible to do so! The alleged account is so firmly locked that although it accepted the temporary password, it switched on a “Change account” tool that does not work.

Point 3). Obviously I see no form, but I wonder what “attachments” are “necessary”. They cannot be previous receipts, not from me.

…

Peter –

You might be right about Amazon being suspicious of very infrequently used accounts. I do not know.

No, I do not keep my passwords list on the computer. I printed the ‘Excel’ sheet, then mangled, saved, mangled, saved… then deleted the file.  I have examined my off-line PC as well to ensure I had not stored it on that.

””’

Something is wrong, somewhere, and I have cannot find out what it is and put it right.  This is why I suspect an attack that may, fortunately, not have succeeded.

For years we had mail-order retailers who worked very well without a computer in sight. Throw the Internet at them and they turn buying the simplest item into convoluted bureaucracy; and if it goes wrong, a nightmare.

 

 

 

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Sorry, Nigel … as stated “I am completely lost”

Bon Voyage !

MichaelG.

[Nigel Graham 2]

On Nigel Graham 2 Said:

 

For years we had mail-order retailers who worked very well without a computer in sight.

And I used to go into a dark-room to process colour film… but the world moved on so I did too.

Throw the Internet at them and they turn buying the simplest item into convoluted bureaucracy; and if it goes wrong, a nightmare.

For some perhaps. I don’t actually share your aversion to Amazon. I am a bit uncomfortable with mega-companies on principal but Amazon works quite well for me and I use it a lot. (It was particularly handy during the pandemic).

No, I do not keep my passwords list on the computer. I printed the ‘Excel’ sheet, then mangled, saved, mangled, saved… then deleted the file.

Why keep them in a file at all? A small notebook in a desk draw is more secure. You can buy little index-books specially for the purpose (Amazon sells them).

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

For info.

This page currently has 51 posts:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ask/questions/Tx9TDNYKYFN728

… It may, or may not, be worth browsing through them.

MichaelG.

 

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Nigel Graham 2, I’ve just looked on my Amazon account, and there doesn’t seem to be any phone numbers to call, and the first step is a chat line. I had to use this when I had my problem, and I was a bit apprehensive about it, but I found it to be quite good, which lead me to the resolution that I have explained earlier. I still think your best route would be to make a new account, and you can always delete it once you get your problem solved. Amazon is a big company, but so is the likes of Boots, W.H.Smith, Screwfix etc. and these sort of vendors are not going away anytime soon. One thing I have found is, that you can often find prices lower than some vendors own websites, than the ones they use on Amazon. I recently bought a couple of UV lens filters through Amazon for about £5.00 less, than I would have paid on the traders own website. But you still have to shop around, as sometimes Amazon a dearer, but the choices are normally more wide spread.

Regards Nick.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Nigel, don’t know if you have tried this, or if it is worth trying, Amazon UK Customer Service 

There is a number further down the page that may help.

Regards Nick.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I do not use Internet services for most purchases but have had no problems with all the companies I have used that way; only with Amazon and only because it does not offer me a ready way to deal with an account problem.

 

Peter –

I used ‘Excel’ to make a pass-word list because it developed piecemeal so a spreadsheet meant simple alphabetical ordering.

There is no copy kept on the computer.

Nor do I use pass-word storing “applications”; and I do not let my PC “remember” many identities. It’s better it “remembers” none.

I have a copy only on a USB “stick” I can store securely but can also use on my off-line PC. Using ‘Excel’ means I can very easily re-arrange the list as a first-step changing method, or to develop completely new PWs, for all. That is drastic though as it alters the whole lot! I used it to scramble the original file used on my main PC so I could print it, before deleting it.

The working copy is a print on paper. USB sticks and sheets of paper are easy to hide and can only be “hacked” if stolen.

 

The difficult bit is that many organisations, including BT, do not make it easy to change your user-name and password for their own services!

The last-resort method for dealing with Amazon is to change my e-post address, but that is not easy and I’d need tell a large number of people including club secretaries and friends.

.

Michael, Nick –

Thank you. I’ll try those.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Nigel, I don’t know why you need to change your user name, but it is recommended that you change your passwords occasionally, but if you what an email address with a different user name, just make an additional email. personally I have three, one which I only use for family, one that I use for certain online companies and one for general use, non of which are connected to my ISP.

Regards Nick.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Just seen off another dubious message – one in my Spam folder telling me of an unanswered voice call from some name unknown to me. I’d not know the number too without I trawl through my address-book to see if occurs there.

Obviously the crooks would not have known they’d sent it to a PC, not a “smart” -‘phone; but I expect mine was one of ten thousand copies anyway.

Report to BT and the “phishing.gov” services, Block sender (not domain as that is a common one), Delete.

.

Thanks for that tip Nick.

A separate one for all transactions might well be wise. I’ve still to resolve the Amazon problem though.

[Anonymous]

Any help?

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-e&q=contacting+amazon+UK

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

The locked account may simply be too many attempts to log in with wrong password, or trying to set up a second account for the same email address etc. Sometimes if you wait a couple of days, the lock is automatically lifted until the next incorrect attempt/s. So if you don’t try to log in but go straight to “Forgot Password” in a week’s time they may send you a reset link.

Sometimes the ordering process is so convoluted that you have inadvertently set up a new account in the process, if the ordering process asked for your email address etc. Then when it asks if you want to open a new account etc, your new account already exists and sends everything into a loop. Has happened to me in the distant past. I vaguely remember it may well have been Amazon that it happened with too.

I always use PayPal for paying such online accounts, eBay, Amazon or whatever as it adds an extra layer of security and is a second possible source of refund in the case of fraudulent transactions.

[Author]

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