Preauthorized purchase scams involve fraudsters posing as representatives from well-known retailers like Walmart, Amazon, or Apple. They falsely claim a large unauthorized purchase has been made on the victim’s account, often creating a sense of urgency to pressure them into action. “A preauthorized purchase of an Apple MacBook Pro and Apple AirPods is being ordered from your Amazon account for an amount of $1,537.35. To cancel your order or to connect with one of our customer support representatives, please press one.” “Hey. This is Bryn from Walmart. A pre-authorized purchase of PlayStation 5 Special Edition and Pulse 3D headset is being ordered from your Walmart account for an amount of $919.45. Please press one to cancel your order or connect with one of our customer support representatives.”
Once connected, the scammer often utilizes an AI-generated voice to mimic actual human speech, making their calls sound more convincing and more challenging to detect as fraudulent. The scammer then attempts to further deceive the victim by requesting personal information to reverse the charge or just install malware (often spyware) onto their phone or computer. How to stay safe If you receive a suspicious call about a preauthorized purchase, hang up immediately. Verify the purchase: Log in to your online account with the retailer or call the customer service number on their official website to verify the purchase. Regularly monitor your accounts: Review your bank and credit card statements for unauthorized charges.
Stay vigilant and stay safe! | 
