Whether it’s a child car seat, kitchen appliance or lawn tool, recall notices warn you of a potential safety risk.
Now there’s a new warning from Consumer Reports: scammers are trying to trick you with phony recall notices. So how can you tell the difference between a legitimate recall and a scam?
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Here’s what you need to know to avoid being duped.
Like many of us, Taylor Frost Smith spends a fair amount of time scrolling and shopping.
“I frequently am buying all different kinds of things at all hours of the night having three little kids,” Smith explained. “I love Amazon.”
For Smith, safety is top of mind. She notices when there’s a recall.
“I also am very diligent to register my products because if there is a recall, I really want to know about it.”
That’s why she did a double-take when she got this text. It says it’s an Amazon Product Recall Notice. Something she bought in December is under recall. Click the link to review the details and refund options.
Smith says something seemed fishy.
“First thing I noticed is that it’s only for eighteen people from Amazon and I started thinking, what is this?”
She went to her Amazon app. Plugged in that order number and asked Rufus -- Amazon’s AI tool, if there’s a recall. Amazon confirmed no recall. And told her it’s a phishing text scam. So what’s in this for the scammers? They hope you’ll click the link and enter personal information, which they can steal and sell on the dark web.
“If you get this text or something similar, don’t respond or click any links,” said Oriene Shin with Consumer Reports. “You should always go to the app or website where you got the product and see if there’s news about a recall.”
You can also check for recalls at recalls.gov or the Consumer Product Safety Commission, dot gov. If you registered the product, you should get an email or a letter in the mail with instructions on what to do.
“Checking the app, I think is really what saved me, so double check, double check,” said Smith.
Amazon, like many online marketplaces, has a page listing the latest recalls and product safety alerts.