Amazon Trial scam (fake) - Free Guide

What is Amazon Trial scam?

Amazon Trial scam says users can win a new iPhone if they complete a simple survey

Crooks use social engineering to lure out users' information

Amazon Trial Program is a fake page designed by crooks to lure out users' data or money. The page is made to look like a legitimate Amazon website. People are put under the impression that only if they agree to complete a single survey, they might win an iPhone 13. The full message reads as follows:

Congratulations!
Today , 9.8.2022 You've been randomly selected to participate in this survey. It only takes a minute and you will receive an amazing prize: Iphone 13!

As with every we are offering great prizes to 10 users. Today's prize is an Iphone 13! Only 10 lucky users, will be the will be the winners!

This survey was created to improve the services offered to our users. Your participation will be rewarded 100%!

They have 00:39:51time to close this survey.

Hurry, prices are limited!

Fraudsters use various social engineering techniques^[1] to make the scheme look real. They use Amazon's branding, and logo. They have also put fake testimonials from supposedly happy previous winners. Usually, such scams are created to trick users into paying for fake shipping fees and stealing personal information, like name, phone number, home address, email, credit card details, etc.

When users encounter such pages they should remember that big companies do not organize giveaways, and award random users. We previously wrote about other similar scams, like The raffle of prizes from the social network Instagram, Chance To Win The New iPad Pro, and Loyalty Program.

Distribution methods

Scam pages like the fake “Amazon Trial,” can rarely be found in the search results. Usually, they hide on other shady sites that are unregulated. Often they appear seemingly out of nowhere after users press on a deceptive ad or sneaky redirect. Startled users are taken back by the possibility that they are chosen, and might win a valuable prize only if they complete a few simple steps.

To avoid fake sites, it is recommended to only visit websites that you know and trust in the first place. Pages that engage in illegal activities are completely unreliable. For example, illegal streaming sites sometimes display fake “Download” and “Play” buttons that open completely different pages often created by cybercriminals.

There is also a possibility that the bogus web page appeared automatically, without any user input. This can happen if the system is infected by adware.^[2] It can cause an increased amount of commercial content, like pop-ups, banners, and redirects. The ads are often placed by rogue advertising networks.

People often stumble upon scam sites when browsing through shady pages

Check your browser

After an encounter with a scam page, you should take care of your browser. Follow the guide below:

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

Cookies^[3] are small text files that can track your browsing activity and store information, like your IP address, geolocation, websites you visit, links you click on, and things you purchase. This data is normally used to personalize the user experience but crooks use it to make a profit. They can be sold to advertising networks and other third parties.

They can even be hijacked, and used for malicious purposes, that is why security experts recommend clearing them regularly. This process can be made easy with a maintenance tool like FortectIntego. Besides, this powerful software can fix various system errors, corrupted files, and registry issues which is especially helpful after a virus infection.

Otherwise, you can follow the step-by-step instructions below.

Clear cache and web data:

1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
4. Click Clear data.

Reset Google Chrome:

The fake Amazon survey page is also known to cause push notification spam. If you experience this, or the previous methods did not get rid of unwanted symptoms. It might be best to try to reset the browser altogether:

1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
5. Confirm with Reset settings.

Scan the system for adware

If you have performed all the previous steps but you still experience unwanted symptoms, you might have a PUP (potentially unwanted program)^[4] installed in your system that is generating ads in the background without your consent. Such programs are known as adware, and usually, they sneak into the system from freeware distribution platforms.

That is why it is important to pay attention during the installation process. Always choose the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation methods, read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. The most important step is to check the file list and untick the boxes next to any unrelated applications.

If you are unsure, that your system is completely safe and you still experience unwanted symptoms, you should use anti-malware tools like SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes or other trusted ones and scan your system. Security software can also prevent such infections in the future by giving you a warning about suspicious programs. If you want to try it yourself, follow the instructions for Windows and macOS:

Windows 10/8:

1. Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
3. From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
4. Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
5. If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
6. Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.

Windows 7/XP:

1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
3. Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
4. At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
5. In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
6. Click OK once the removal process is finished.

Mac:

1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
3. Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)

To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:

1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.