Scam Alert: Amazon Hoax, East Bay Police Officer Warns

EAST BAY — If you're an Amazon Prime member, there's an impressive-looking email scam targeting your credit card and other personal information.

The Pleasanton Police Department warns that scammers claiming to be from Amazon say the shopper's Prime membership will be suspended if new credit card information is not submitted.

Sgt. Julie Fragomeli said in a video posted to the police Facebook page that she almost fell victim to the hoax and wanted to share the details with others.

"It really looked legit," she said.

Fragomeli received an email with an Amazon letterhead that said her Prime membership was set to renew soon, but the card linked to her account was invalid. It said Amazon would try to charge other cards linked to her account in the meantime, but her Prime membership would be suspended if they didn't work. The email prompted her to follow instructions in an attached document.

"It just didn't sound right, so I contacted Amazon directly," she said.

Amazon told her that there was a phishing scam circulating and she should not open the attachment sent to her, Fragomeli said. Amazon also said it would never send an email asking for credit card or social security information.

"Don't fall for these scams, don't give out your information," she said. "If you have any questions, you can always contact the company directly."

See screenshots of the email by watching the Pleasanton Police Department video here.

— Patch editor Courtney Teague and Bea Karnes contributed to this story

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