FTC warns consumers of scam calls claiming to be from Apple and Amazon

The FTC has issued a warning to consumers this week to let people know that scammers are calling and using the names of two of the largest and best-known companies in the United States. The scammers are calling consumers and claiming to be from Apple and Amazon in an attempt to steal. In one of the scams, the FTC says consumers receive a call or recorded message claiming to be Amazon.

The message says there's something wrong with an Amazon account, such as a suspicious purchase, lost package, or order that can't be fulfilled. In another form of the scam, the recorded message says there is suspicious activity on the Apple iCloud account. The message says that the account may have been breached.

In both scams, the messages tell listeners to press one to speak with someone or a phone number is given a call. The FTC is warning people not to do either; both of these messages are scams. The goal is scams is to steal personal information, like account passwords or credit card numbers.

The FTC says don't press one to speak with customer support, don't call the phone number they give you, and don't give out personal information. The FTC says if people are concerned, they should contact Amazon or Apple using a phone number or website that is known to be real if they are concerned.

Consumers are urged to report any calls they think is a scam directly to the FTC. Scammers are out in force each holiday season, and new scams are nothing new. With most consumers doing online shopping from Amazon, it's easy for many people to fall for scams if they are unaware.