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SCAM ALERT: State Attorney’s Office Warns Citizens Beware of the ‘Recall Refund’ Trap
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Product recalls are common, but scammers are now using them to stage a new kind of digital ambush. In this scheme, you receive an urgent email or text claiming a product you recently purchased — anything from a space heater to a baby stroller — has been recalled due to safety hazards.
The message warns of immediate danger and offers a “hassle-free refund” if you simply click a link to provide your details. Sometimes, the messages appear to come from trusted retailers like Amazon, Costco, or Walmart.
Often, they don’t mention a specific product you bought, but instead cite a made-up order number or other information to make the message seem legit. Just click a link to see what it was. Don’t bite. These links often lead to phishing sites designed to harvest your Social Security number and banking information, or they may secretly install malware on your device.
While legitimate recalls do happen, official companies rarely reach out via unsolicited text messages demanding sensitive data for a payout.
Other times, the scammers simply want your money and will ask you to pay a so-called processing fee to get your refund. Legitimate government agencies and honest companies will never ask for that.
How to stay safe
Don’t click any links: Treat any unsolicited, urgent-seeming text message about an urgent product recall as a red flag.
Go to the source: If you get a recall notice, visit the retailer or manufacturer’s official website or the Consumer Product Safety Commission at cpsc.gov to verify the recall in its searchable database.
Keep your info private: A real refund process rarely requires your full Social Security number. If a site asks for high-level personal data to process a small refund, close the tab immediately.
Register your products: Mail in the registration cards that come with your appliances or gadgets, or register them on the manufacturer’s official website. Legitimate recall notices are sent directly to registered owners via mail or official email.
Beware upfront-fee requests: Besides requests for bogus fees, any instruction to pay via gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency is a sure sign of a scam
