Ohio Attorney General warns of online holiday scams

Ohio - The holidays are approaching quickly, and online shopping is a very popular way of buying gifts, but Ohio Attorney David Yost is warning shoppers of holiday scams.
According to the Federal Trade Commission various Amazon impersonation scams are filling phone lines throughout the country.
Illegal robocallers are posing as legitimate businesses such as Amazon, Apple or PayPal to try and access your personal information and ultimately take money from you.
Scammers call customers posing as "representatives" of one of these businesses claiming that a large purchase has been made with the customers card, and want to help fix the situation.
Customers are then persuaded to give them access to the customers device so they can be issued a refund, which allows for the scammers to gain access to the customers personal information.
"Legitimate companies don't do business this way, so just hang up," Ohio Attorney General David Yost said. "These impostors want to get you on the line and cause panic so you cough up personal information. My hope is that you will answer by ending the call."
On Amazon's website, the company guidelines expresses that Amazon would never call a customer to seek personal information or discuss a refund that isn't already processed.
The Ohio Attorney General's Office has a list of tips to help shoppers identify and deal with scammers:
-Hang up if you receive a cold call from someone claiming that you have purchased an item from Amazon or another popular online retailer. Do not call back the number on your caller ID or the phone number mentioned in the message. Instead, if you are concerned about the supposed purchase, contact the retailer using its legitimate phone number or email address. Customer service contact information can typically be found on the company's website.
-Carefully examine the details of your online account purchases and credit card bills for any unauthorized charges. If you see an unauthorized charge, report it immediately to your credit card company.
-Never allow a stranger to remotely access your smartphone, tablet or computer. If the caller claims to need remote access to process a refund, it's a scam.
-Be highly suspicious of requests from a stranger to buy gift cards as payment for any product or service as part of a "refund" process or to allegedly help stop fraud from a third party. Know that once you disclose a gift card's PIN to someone, that person will be able to access the money on the card.
-To report a scam, contact the legitimate retailer through the contact information on its website and the Ohio Attorney General's Help Center.
-If you've fallen victim to a business impostor scam by disclosing personal identifying information, download the Ohio Attorney General's ID Theft Basics publication and visit www.identitytheft.gov for help on how to proceed.
-Consumers who suspect an unfair or deceptive sales practice should contact the Ohio Attorney General's Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.