Dorian Jones suspected that the person claiming to represent Amazon might be a scammer. Then another caller appeared to confirm that the first man was genuine.
The second conversation gave the 70-year-old enough confidence to continue, even as his wife warned from the background that something did not feel right.
Jones followed instructions involving his phone and began receiving text messages that appeared to come from his bank.
By the time the deception became clear, £1,800 had left two of his accounts through 12 separate transactions.
The Second Caller Made the First One Look Legitimate
Jones said he was initially wary of the person claiming to work for Amazon, according to the BBC. While he was still speaking with that caller, another person contacted him and presented himself as an official Amazon representative.
Jones placed the two phones beside each other and asked the supposed official to verify the first man. The second scammer confirmed that the original caller was genuine. Jones had unknowingly asked one member of the same alleged operation to authenticate another.
The Caller Claimed He Was Helping Stop a Scam
The person on the line told Jones that he was already being targeted by fraudsters and presented his instructions as a way to protect the accounts. Jones later said the story felt authentic because the man was warning him about a scam while carrying one out.
His wife continued telling him that the situation was wrong, but the staged verification had already strengthened the caller’s credibility.
Jones became increasingly suspicious when he was instructed to type numbers into his phone keypad as part of an alleged effort to cancel the fraudulent activity. He also began receiving text messages that appeared to come from his bank.
Twelve Transactions Drained Two Accounts
The callers ultimately obtained £1,800 from two of Jones’ bank accounts through 12 separate transactions. The reporting does not provide the value of each payment, explain whether the transactions involved card purchases or account transfers, or state whether his bank reimbursed any of the loss.
No suspect or arrest was identified in the public report. Jones shared his experience to warn others that a scam can still sound convincing even when the target begins the conversation with doubts.
Hang Up and Verify Information
Consumers should not verify an unexpected Amazon, bank, police, tax, delivery, or tech-support call through a number, person, link, or text message supplied during the same interaction. They should hang up, wait a moment, and contact the company or bank through the official app, website, card number, or published customer-service channel.
The company warns that scammers often create false urgency, claim an account is at risk, or request payment or personal information outside Amazon’s official website or app.
Anyone who believes they exposed banking information should contact the bank directly, ask for the affected accounts to be secured, report unauthorized transactions, change passwords, and preserve all messages before deleting or blocking the callers.