A 70-year-old man in Westbury lost £1,800 after two fraudsters posing as Amazon staff used a coordinated phone scam to convince him to follow instructions that enabled 12 unauthorised withdrawals. The con involved one caller claiming to protect the victim's account and a second caller who "verified" the first, making the scheme appear legitimate. Wiltshire Police are investigating and Amazon says it never asks customers to download software, allow remote access, or pay outside its website or app. Authorities urge people to hang up on unsolicited calls and contact organisations directly via official channels.
Retiree Duped Out Of £1,800 In Sophisticated Two‑Caller Amazon Phone Scam
Dorian Jones has urged people to beware after he fell for the "sophisticated" scam [Dorian Jones]
A 70-year-old retiree from Westbury, Wiltshire, has issued a warning after losing £1,800 to a convincing phone scam in which fraudsters posed as Amazon staff and used a two-step verification ruse to deceive him.
Dorian Jones said he became suspicious during a call earlier this month, but was ultimately convinced when a second caller — who appeared to be an official Amazon representative — rang to "verify" the first caller. The two fraudsters then joined the calls and reinforced each other's legitimacy, convincing Mr Jones to follow instructions that allowed them to withdraw money from his accounts.
How The Scam Worked
The fraud unfolded over nearly two hours on a "very crackly" line. Key elements included:
Jones said the scam was so "authentic" it had him "hook, line and sinker" [Dorian Jones]
- The first caller claimed Mr Jones's Amazon account contained two smartphones in the basket and urged him to check his account.
- The caller displayed detailed personal knowledge — family details and other private information — which made the call appear authentic.
- The fraudster told Mr Jones to hang up periodically, claiming they were "being listened to" by another criminal, then guided him to type numbers into his phone keypad to "cancel the scammers."
- Mr Jones received counterfeit text messages purporting to be from his bank during the call.
- A second caller then phoned and vouched for the first, giving Mr Jones further confidence to follow the instructions. The scam resulted in 12 unauthorised withdrawals totalling £1,800 from two bank accounts.
"It was so authentic. He got the better of me," Mr Jones said. "They had me hook, line and sinker."
Aftermath And Advice
Mr Jones cancelled his bank cards and reported the incident to Wiltshire Police, who are investigating. He is waiting to find out whether the money can be recovered. Amazon has confirmed it is assisting Mr Jones to secure his account and reiterated that it never asks customers to download software, grant remote access to devices, or make payments outside the official Amazon website or app.
Simon Goodwin, Wiltshire Police's cyber crime prevent and protect officer, said scams are among the most commonly reported crimes and urged the public to be vigilant. "Do not click on unsolicited links via email, text or QR codes, and never download apps or grant remote access when asked by an unexpected caller," he advised. He added that criminals often use fear, time pressure and impersonation of trusted organisations to trick victims.
Mr Jones, a former Westbury town councillor who volunteers at Dorothy House Hospice, said he wanted to make others aware of how sophisticated these scams can be: "Beware — they're out there to catch you."
If You Receive A Suspicious Call: Hang up, contact the company directly through the official app or website, and report the incident to your bank and local police immediately.
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