‘Action Fraud has reported that the scam was first reported in October 2019 and since has cost the victims more than £1 million.

‘The scam is carried out by phone call, with the victim receiving an automated phone message that they have been charged for an Amazon Prime subscription. They are subsequently instructed to ‘press 1’ to cancel the transaction. When they do this, they are directed to a fraudster posing as an Amazon customer service representative. DO NOT PRESS 1…HANG UP!!

‘The fraudster advises the victim that their subscription was purchased fraudulently and that remote access to their computer is required in order to fix a security flaw that will prevent it from reoccurring.

‘The unsuspecting victim then downloads software which grants the scammers remote access to their computer, including personal and financial information.

‘Other variants of the crime involve fraudsters stating that the recipient is eligible for a refund for an unauthorised transaction on their Amazon account.

Follow Action Fraud advice to stay safe.