--- title: Scammers Stole $660 Million Last Year Posing as Workers at Amazon and Other Big Brands description: A new FTC report says that Best Buy, Amazon, PayPal and Microsoft are the brands most likely to be used by fraudsters in imposter scams. authors: - name: Adam Hardy role: Lead Data Reporter url: https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/ bio: Adam Hardy is a lead data journalist at Money, where he frequently reports on financial barriers that affect low-income Americans. Adam’s work has also appeared in Business Insider, Forbes, Nasdaq, The Penny Hoarder, Yahoo! Finance and more than a dozen local and regional newspapers. education: University of South Florida, BA, Magazine Journalism at_money_since: 2021 articles: 497 covers: - Personal Finance - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology also_seen_in: - The Penny Hoarder - Forbes Advisor - Creative Loafing - The New York Times - The Washington Post - Bloomberg - Harvard Law School - The Federal Register - National Consumer Law Center - CBS News - Becker's Hospital Review - Business Insider - Mother Jones - The Week - Fortune - The Philadelphia Inquirer - National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NAFSAA) - Education Advisory Board (EAB) - The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) - This Morning with Gordon Deal - Empower - Reddit social: - https://www.x.com/hardyjournalism - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hardyjournalism/ editors: - name: Brad Tuttle role: Senior Editor url: https://money.com/author/brad-tuttle/ bio: Brad Tuttle is a former senior editor at Money with over 10 years’ experience covering a vast number of personal finance topics, including careers, cars, travel, budgeting, investing, insurance, credit cards, consumer psychology, real estate, banking, and shopping and deals. education: Columbia University School of Journalism, MS at_money_since: 2014 articles: 366 covers: - Personal Finance - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology social: - https://twitter.com/bradrtuttle - https://linkedin.com/in/brad-tuttle-834b225 former_staff: true published: '2024-05-29T18:49:55.000Z' modified: '2024-05-29T18:49:55.000Z' section: Personal Finance tags: - News word_count: 735 canonical: https://money.com/scams-amazon-best-buy-business-impersonation/ type: NewsArticle source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Illustration of a scammer impersonating an Amazon digital storefront](https://img.money.com/2024/05/News-business-most-impersonated-scammers.jpg?crop=0px%2C87px%2C2880px%2C1620px&quality=85) Scammers are impersonating well-known companies to siphon hundreds of millions of dollars out of the wallets of unsuspecting Americans. Often posing as representatives from Best Buy’s Geek Squad, Amazon, PayPal and several other big brand names, fraudsters stole over $660 million through business-impersonation schemes in 2023 alone, according to a [new report](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/data-visualizations/data-spotlight/2024/05/whos-who-scams-spring-roundup) from the Federal Trade Commission. Such [scams have become increasingly prevalent](https://money.com/states-high-identity-theft-2023/) since the onset of the pandemic, FTC data suggests. For example, in the first three months of 2020, the FTC received about 26,000 complaints related to business-impersonation fraud. Complaints of business imposters peaked at roughly 130,000 between July and September of 2023, and the scheme remains by far the most common type of imposter scam today. ## Having your identity stolen may come at a high cost ### With Aura in your corner, you'll have the proper software to protect your every online move. Nowadays, we all need Identity Theft Protection. Find yours by clicking on your state below. [View Plans](https://money.com/pr/gd041a90dab2?ap_referrer=%2Fscams-amazon-best-buy-business-impersonation%2F) While FTC complaints are helpful to determine how and where Americans are getting swindled, they’re just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the true number of scams taking place around the country. “Because the vast majority of frauds are not reported to the government, these figures reflect just a small fraction of the public harm,” the FTC report says. In fact, a [2021 study](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3852323) found that less than 5% of fraud victims actually lodge complaints with the Better Business Bureau or a government agency. ## Most common business-imposter scams The FTC report shows that scammers love to impersonate certain businesses, especially popular technology and banking brands. But the most common scams aren’t always the most lucrative for the fraudsters. Here’s a look at the 10 most commonly impersonated businesses in 2023: 1. **Best Buy/Geek Squad:** 52,000 complaints resulting in $15 million in theft 2. **Amazon:** 34,000 complaints; $19 million theft 3. **PayPal:** 10,000 complaints; $16 million theft 4. **Microsoft:** 7,000 complaints; $60 million theft 5. **Publishers Clearing House:** 7,000 complaints; $49 million theft 6. **Norton/Lifelock:** 6,000 complaints; $11 million theft 7. **Apple:** 5,000 complaints; $17 million theft 8. **Comcast/Xfinity:** 4,000 complaints; $2 million theft 9. **Bank of America:** 4,000 complaints; $8 million theft 10. **Wells Fargo:** 3,000 complaints; $11 million theft Known techniques include fake Geek Squad emails that try to get you to renew a service that you never signed up for; pop-up security alerts seemingly from Microsoft that prompt you to call a hotline for help; and phone calls from someone pretending to be from Publishers Clearing House saying you need to pay fees in order to collect your winnings from a non-existent sweepstakes. The FTC also says that scammers most commonly request payments via PayPal, Cash App or Zelle or gift cards from Apple, Target or eBay. Scammers may deploy a variety of schemes to steal your money. In addition to posing as familiar businesses, imposters also frequently pretend to be a family member, a friend, a government worker or an online love interest. Collectively, the FTC received more than 850,000 imposter scam complaints in 2023, resulting in a loss of at least $2.7 billion. ## Make sure that you're protected when shopping online ### Aura can provide peace of mind so you can shop online without any worries. Click below to get protected today! [View Plans](https://money.com/pr/pcdb23016574?ap_referrer=%2Fscams-amazon-best-buy-business-impersonation%2F) ## How to avoid imposter scams Scammers are constantly changing their tactics and coming up with evermore convincing ploys. Familiarizing yourself with the trends outlined above can certainly help you identify well-known scams, though the list is far from exhaustive. Especially with the introduction of generative artificial intelligence, scammers can easily create persuasive scripts, graphics and even replicas of a family member’s voice. Avoiding scams requires vigilance. If you ever find yourself in a situation where someone (even if you think it is someone you know) is demanding money quickly, take a second to think things through. The FTC recommends getting confirmation about the requester's identity and situation first. “Anyone who’s rushing you into sending money, buying gift cards, or investing in cryptocurrency is almost certainly a scammer,” the agency says. Another golden rule: Never click links from unexpected texts or emails. And don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. Even caller ID is not to be trusted, the FTC says, as phone numbers can be spoofed with relative ease. Instead, use a contact method you know to be true — like an email address or phone number (better yet, ask in person) — to verify the request that the business or person contacting you is legit. Of course, payment requests via gift card, [crypto](https://money.com/what-is-cryptocurrency/) or [money transfers](https://money.com/best-money-transfer-apps/) should set off immediate alarm bells. “Only scammers say there’s only one way to pay,” the FTC says. ### Includes VPN & password manager ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/29035/medium_031b14e8-19d0-4ec7-b6f0-04e29d54e75a.png) Our Partner [View Plans](https://money.com/go/9feffaf34fe8?bidid=4021963356&ptid=661347385&ptoken=938de461b518efff4b79ec6cbfaa6097) ### Comprehensive 3-bureau monitoring system ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/22930/medium_1cbc8db8-3f08-443a-9212-ffc20f3572c5.png) Our Partner [View Plans](https://money.com/go/9d48771e52b1?bidid=4021963354&ptid=661347385&ptoken=5c5ff9da99698cadf3fecf300bcc966a) ### Over 40 years of experience in the field ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/29533/medium_0d1a7abe-469a-4c92-bc75-b14db9a97c71.png) Our Partner [View Plans](https://money.com/go/b97d7ee252ec?bidid=4021963353&ptid=661347385&ptoken=2f9d160424c98f37d0287fecaa9f6758) ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/39603/medium_19e58401-022f-4bdc-bc08-ac1e419ddcdf.webp) [View Plans](https://money.com/go/f19bfaa17e3a?bidid=4021963361&ptid=661347385&ptoken=f33980cdd83683f74648499b9592218d) ![View Plans](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/38916/medium_94286108-57cf-442c-8244-b54cf4d80c68.webp) Our Partner [View Plans](https://money.com/go/57d55d4e724e?bidid=4021963357&ptid=661347385&ptoken=1e0a6fedc3c1011ef42680f7acd50f18) ![](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/29035/medium_031b14e8-19d0-4ec7-b6f0-04e29d54e75a.png) Protect yourself from the threat of Identity Theft with Aura [View Plans](https://money.com/pr/ce5c60e9ca63?ap_referrer=%2Fscams-amazon-best-buy-business-impersonation%2F) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/scams-amazon-best-buy-business-impersonation/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Personal Finance", "item": "https://money.com/personal-finance/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Scammers Stole $660 Million Last Year Posing as Workers at Amazon and Other Big Brands" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/scams-amazon-best-buy-business-impersonation/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/scams-amazon-best-buy-business-impersonation/", "name": "Scammers Stole $660 Million Last Year Posing as Workers at Amazon and Other Big Brands", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2024-05-29T18:49:55.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/scams-amazon-best-buy-business-impersonation/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/scams-amazon-best-buy-business-impersonation/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2024-05-29T18:49:55.000Z" }, { "@type": "NewsArticle", "headline": "Scammers Stole $660 Million Last Year Posing as Workers at Amazon and Other Big Brands", "articleSection": "Personal Finance", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2024/05/News-business-most-impersonated-scammers.jpg?crop=0px%2C87px%2C2880px%2C1620px&quality=85", "width": 1012, "height": 569, "caption": "News-business-most- impersonated-scammers" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Hardy", "url": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/#author", "description": "Adam Hardy is a lead data journalist at Money, where he frequently reports on financial barriers that affect low-income Americans. Adam’s work has also appeared in Business Insider, Forbes, Nasdaq, The Penny Hoarder, Yahoo! Finance and more than a dozen local and regional newspapers.", "image": "https://img.money.com/2022/01/a_adam-hardy.jpg?quality=85&w=400&h=440&crop=1", "email": "adam.hardy@money.com", "jobTitle": "Lead Data Reporter", "alumniOf": "University of South Florida, BA, Magazine Journalism", "subjectOf": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/", "name": "The Penny Hoarder" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.forbes.com/advisor/", "name": "Forbes Advisor" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://creativeloafing.com/", "name": "Creative Loafing" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/opinion/biden-trump-harris-2024.html", "name": "The New York Times" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/12/26/flexible-spending-account-is-flawed-benefit/", "name": "The Washington Post" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-09-20/-100-000-h-1b-visa-fee-is-a-gamble-that-could-protect-us-jobs", "name": "Bloomberg" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2024/02/08/whoop-and-the-irs-how-tax-avoidance-helps-health/", "name": "Harvard Law School" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b#footnote-33-p60883", "name": "The Federal Register" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.nclc.org/resources/what-states-can-do-to-stop-credit-reporting-abuses/", "name": "National Consumer Law Center" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/open-enrollment-irs-changes-fsa-hsa-flexible-spending-account-health-savings-account-2023/", "name": "CBS News" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/rankings-and-ratings/20-top-us-hospitals-for-2025-per-money/", "name": "Becker's Hospital Review" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/using-chatgpt-ai-write-cover-letters-job-applications-2023-2", "name": "Business Insider" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/a-major-strike-of-beef-workers-pauses-in-colorado-but-workers-say-the-fight-isnt-over/", "name": "Mother Jones" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://theweek.com/business/economy/job-market-frozen-thawing", "name": "The Week" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://fortune.com/2023/12/20/workers-lose-money-on-unused-fsa-accounts-deadlines-what-companies-should-do/", "name": "Fortune" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/liberation-day-tariffs-economy-stock-market-trump-20250401.html", "name": "The Philadelphia Inquirer" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.nasfaa.org/news-item/37955/Student_Loan_Changes_2026_New_Repayment_Options_Taxable_Forgiveness_and_More_on_the_Way", "name": "National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NAFSAA)" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://eab.com/resources/blog/adult-education-blog/graduate-funding-shift-pricing-aid-strategies-aligned/", "name": "Education Advisory Board (EAB)" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://ticas.org/california/state-private-loans-protections-blog/", "name": "The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS)" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://thismorningwithgordondeal.com/b/This-Morning-with-Gordon-Deal-August-04,-2026/421564107823081285.html", "name": "This Morning with Gordon Deal" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.empower.com/the-currency/life/pumpkin-spice-season-spending", "name": "Empower" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/Economics/comments/1va10oa/comment/p0i9bju/", "name": "Reddit" } ], "sameAs": [ "https://www.x.com/hardyjournalism", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/hardyjournalism/" ], "worksFor": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } } ], "publisher": "https://money.com/#organization", "datePublished": "2024-05-29T18:49:55.000Z", "description": "A new FTC report says that Best Buy, Amazon, PayPal and Microsoft are the brands most likely to be used by fraudsters in imposter scams.", "abstract": "A new FTC report says that Best Buy, Amazon, PayPal and Microsoft are the brands most likely to be used by fraudsters in imposter scams.", "@id": "https://money.com/scams-amazon-best-buy-business-impersonation/", "inLanguage": "en-US", "dateModified": "2024-05-29T18:49:55.000Z", "editor": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brad Tuttle", "url": "https://money.com/author/brad-tuttle/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/brad-tuttle/#author", "description": "Brad Tuttle is a former senior editor at Money with over 10 years’ experience covering a vast number of personal finance topics, including careers, cars, travel, budgeting, investing, insurance, credit cards, consumer psychology, real estate, banking, and shopping and deals.\r\n\r\n", "image": "https://img.money.com/2014/01/Brad-Tuttle.png?w=226&h=247&crop=1", "alumniOf": "Columbia University School of Journalism, MS", "sameAs": [ "https://twitter.com/bradrtuttle", "https://linkedin.com/in/brad-tuttle-834b225" ] } ], "wordCount": 735, "keywords": [ "News" ], "about": [ { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Personal finance", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_finance" ] }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Scam", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scam" ] }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Amazon (company)", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_(company)" ] } ] } ] } ```