Two California men are facing theft and other charges, accused of trying to scam a Crafton woman.
Allegheny County Police say Shuai Jiao and Daxue Yang called the 71-year-old claiming to be from the “Amazon Fraud Department.”
She was told her profile was linked to more than $360,000 in illegal purchases.
The men allegedly said they were federal law enforcement officials and coerced the woman to buy gold coins.
In return, they reportedly said she would be given a check to open a new account.
She contacted police and detectives and FBI agents stepped in to arrest Jiao and Yang Friday.
They were denied bail and have preliminary hearings in December.
The FBI is also warning shoppers to protect themselves from scammers.
Here are some of the scams the bureau is warning the public about:
· Non-Delivery Scams - A buyer pays for goods or services they find online, but those items are never received.
· Non-Payment Scams - Goods or services are shipped, but the seller is never paid.
· Auction Fraud - Involves a seller deliberately misrepresenting the condition or quality of an item on an auction website.
· Gift Card Fraud - Scammers can steal numbers and security codes from gift cards in stores and wait for them to be activated, or consumers can be asked to pay for goods or services with a pre-paid card.
Here are some tips to help you look out for scammers while holiday shopping:
· Before shopping online, secure all financial accounts with strong passwords or passphrases. The FBI recommends using different passwords for each financial account.
· As usual, if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.
· Buy directly from a secure and reputable website; steer clear of unfamiliar sites offering unrealistic discounts on brand-name merchandise.
· Verify the legitimacy of buyers or sellers before making a purchase. If you’re using an online marketplace or auction website, check feedback ratings.
· Avoid sellers and websites that demand payment solely through gift cards. Scammers also sometimes encourage shoppers to conduct wire transfers, allowing criminals to quickly receive illicit funds. Credit cards provide several layers of security against fraud and are typically the safest way to conduct online shopping.
· Check bank and credit card statements routinely, including after making online purchases and in the weeks following the holidays.
· Never give personal information like your date of birth or Social Security number to anyone you don’t know.
· Always get a tracking number for items purchased online so you can make sure the shipment has occurred and you can follow the process.