The article will aid you to differentiate between a $1000 Amazon Gift Card and scams related to it. Follow the removal instructions for the related adware and scams given at the end of the article.
What Is $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam?
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam has many variants and has circled Web space for years now. With every new version of the scam that pops up, more and more users fall victim to it. That is due to the fact that every new scam tends to mimic and be as close as possible to the original Gift Card provided by Amazon.com, Inc. One of the latest is an adware that keeps showing pop-ups with the message $1000 Amazon Gift Card is reserved for you. Many different domains host a web page with that version of the scam. Older versions are still found across the Internet and there are also videos promoting the $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam on YouTube. Adverts will be pushed on your browsers, and thus the scam is also recognized as adware.
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam Summary
| Name | $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam |
| Type | Adware, PUP, Phishing |
| Short Description | Advertisements related to the scam will try to extract money or credential information from you. They can be misleading and also redirect you or be implemented in your favorite shopping websites. |
| Symptoms | You see adverts in your browsers, like pop-ups listing you as a winner or rightful recipient of an Amazon Gift Card for 1,000 US dollars. You can get redirected from ads and links related to it that may show on websites you visit. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
Download
Malware Removal Tool
|
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam
$1000 Amazon Gift Card has a brand new variant. It is called Amazon Gift Card iPhone Scam Virus and has been targetting iPhone users and Apple device users alike. It does not differ much from the scams showcased inside this post, but its new and its spreading in new ways, especially the trigger point that affects your phone.
The Amazon Gift Card iPhone scam’s theme is also a bit different, as it offers membership rewards as a phishing attempt to lure people in. In addition, a brand new phone is offered to victims, so they may be tempted to perform the actions listed on the page of the Amazon Gift Card iPhone scam.
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam – Distribution
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam might distribute via a third-party installation setup. Applications connected to $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam can intrude your computer, without your knowledge of that. Bundled packages and freeware setups could be distributing this adware. Installer setups like those could be set by default to install additional components. To avoid installations of such unwanted applications, you have to search for the Custom or Advanced settings. From there, you should be able to deselect any component that is not necessary.
NOTE! Rare instances of this kind of $1000 Amazon Gift Card scam have been seen to be pushed to e-mail addresses, so beware if you get an e-mail from somebody else than Amazon about gift cards.
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam might distribute itself by using similar websites which are hosting its ads. Websites like those often offer nearly the same shopping deals and can have plenty of redirect links. Clicking on just one redirect link or advert could send the adware to your computer system. In addition, banners, pop-ups as well as more kinds of adverts could be placed on the Internet to popularize this shopping platform. These ad-types might redirect to the main domain of the adware. All browsers which could be affected are: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Safari.
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam – Analysis
Many scams related to Amazon are circling the World Wide Web. A prime example would be the Fake Amazon Assistant “Virus”. However, in this article we will show you the many sides of the scams suggesting that you will receive a $1000 Amazon Gift Card in some way or form. The scam is not exactly new as versions of it can be observed from years ago. Although, every year the scam gets more and more sophisticated and has built a higher popularity amongst users of Amazon. The masses search to get money in a fast and easy way, and those people are the main niche of people that become victims to the scam.
Websites hosting the $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam can load pop-ups and other advertising content as you are browsing. Heaps of advertisements might show, promoting ways to get Amazon Gift Cards of different money amounts. The one with 1,000 US dollars is the most common one.
”$1000 Amazon Gift Card is reserved for you!” Scam
This scam is a recurring one, which means that it keeps showing up, year after year, months after months. The scam just switches domains and a small part of the text displayed on its page.
You can preview this variant of the $1000 Amazon Gift Card scam below:
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam generates advertisements such as pop-up boxes, banners and some few others, as well. Lots of shopping pages are being bombarded with pop-ups and other adverts promoting the scam. The adverts might be presented in the pretext of shopping deals, discount coupons, and all kinds of related content that may fit marketing and shopping sites.
The text on its page states the following:
Congratulations!
(1) $1000 Amazon Gift Card is reserved for you!
Step 1: Click the “CONTINUE” button to claim your prize.
Step 2: Enter the correct information on the next page to claim your prize.Important: Hurry, limited quantities only.
You only have 0 minutes 0 seconds to claim your prize!
$1000 Amazon Gift Card
2 remaining!
[CONTINUE]
In the case your browser software and your computer machine have any program or Trojan horse associated with this scam or adware type, you can witness sponsored advertisements about the $1000 Amazon Gift Card often inside shopping sites you browse regularly.
”Win a $1000 Amazon Gift Card” and “Amazon Gift reserved!” Scam
The $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam has many variations.
Congratulations Amazon User, you have (1) Amazon Gift reserved! is the message of the scam page displayed on the left screenshot. It is usually presented as a reward, alongside a Playstation 4 or an iPhone 7. The iPhone 8 is now a reality, so without a doubt you will see a page offering the newer model along the Amazon Gift Card. The picture on the right shows the other landing page you can come across while browsing. it is labeled “Win a $1000 Amazon gift card”.
Both of these scams use a landing page, which contains some kind of survey. The questions are always four maximum, each time, so more people are inclined to finish the “questionnaire”. The questions are easy and short, too. Those scams almost always have a page design copied from the Amazon website, including the font, buttons, logos, etc. In the end, you are asked to provide an e-mail address or credential data, banking details and similar information. The scams are not exactly phishing, but might redirect you to a phishing page, so you might type in your Amazon login information and get your account hijacked.
Any $1000 Amazon Gift Card scam can redirect you to suspicious websites to generate traffic. This traffic can be turned into revenue from using a pay-per-click scheme. A huge number of the advertisements on the site might be associated with affiliates or partners of the shopping-oriented service. The adverts, plus all other sponsored content can collect information about you and your browsing activity. Advertisements tied to $1000 Amazon Gift Card scams can be in the form of banners, pop-ups, pop-unders, in-game ads, plus in-text links ads. Other ad-types are not excluded from showing up, as well.
”$1000 Amazon Gift Card” Scam on YouTube
All of the scams described above, plus others which are similar can be found on YouTube, being promoted in one way or another. Other scams related to a $1000 Amazon Gift Card can be found only in YouTube promoting the card for being “FREE“. Some of these videos include people who try to talk you into the scam and registering your credential details or give your email address to receive a link and go from there. Other videos show just a link with the landing page on which a scam is hosted, such as the one showcased right down here:
You should beware of such scams as they try to look like Amazon more and more by using similar or the same design as the Amazon site network. Some survey related scams use questions which contain truthful information such as “Is Jeff Bezos is the founder of Amazon?” to try and trick you that everything on the site or landing page is true and that you will receive a $1000 Amazon Gift Card in the end.
Below you will see how to differentiate the scams from the real thing and can learn more about what to do or not do, so you can avoid being scammed. At the end of the article, you will see instructions of how to remove any related adware from your computer system.
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam in March 2020
January 2020 brings a newer version of the $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam but this time with a lower and more believable sum of money. This can be seen from the screenshot below, captured from an email spam message, trying to trick new victims:
Luckily, modern mail service providers such as Gmail can recognize scam messages within a few days and mark e-mails as suspicious. Be sure to report these to the email service, if it fails to recognize it as scam, so the sender can be marked sooner and banned from re-sending the message to more people.
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam in February 2019
The $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam is seeing fresh nuances in its variations. Check the below screenshot of a Web page that is hosting the scam:
On top of it all, the scam is finding new ways for spread and distribution, by advertising in forum spaces. SensorsTechForum was also used as a means to spread information about new Web pages that host the scam. You can see the original message in the below screenshot:
Do not fall for any messages relating to getting a thousand dollars Amazon Gift Card, no matter how pretty and professional they look. Abstain from falling for the oldest trick in the book that you can get something for free. Especially if it involves clicking on things and giving out information that is personal.
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam in May 2018
A new variation for the $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam has appeared, in the past few months. It featured a malicious advertisement popping up in websites using Google DoubleClick For Publishers (or Google DFP for short), an advertisement sales management platform.
Here is how such an advert may look like if loaded onto your device:
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam in September 2018
In the beginning of the month of September 2018, other Web domains have been discovered to be involved with the $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam.
The following domain has been found to be involved with the scam:
- 2-amazon-new-us.lp2.sweepstakescentralusa.com
Be aware that other sums of money might be promised – such as 500 or even 5000 US dollars. Do not get fooled by pretty pictures and empty promises and understand that even popular and well-known websites might get involved in promoting such a scam as their owners will receive some sum of money for getting involved.
In the above picture, we at STF have compiled three of the most commonly found pictures of the scam in current circulation. Similar designs might have been used and new sites could start hosting such scams as this is being written. Stay vigilant and don’t share your personal details anywhere – you don’t know for what nefarious purposes they can be used.
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam in October 2018
It appears that a new $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam has emerged and is already targeting Facebook users prompting them to share, like and comment on the page. That could indeed boost a Facebook page, but may also steal data from you or even download and execute a malicious software on your personal computer. Be careful around promises of free gifts especially if they include the words “Free Amazon Gift Card“. An example of one such scam running on Facebook is displayed in the below screenshot:
As you can clearly see, there are also fake comments that are placed under the buttons of the window, so some more sceptical people might get more inclined into clicking and falling in the trap of this Amazon Gift Card Scam.
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam in November 2018
We detected a recent distribution campaign with the $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam via Twitter and social network profiles which redirect the victims to a YouTube video. It is a simple text-based animation which will lure the victims into interacting with a malicious link ultimately leading to the scam’s landing page.
The persistency of this threat and this new update shows that the hacker developers have a continued interest in maintaining the scam. The accounts through which it is distributed may be either automatically generated, hacked or stolen.
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam in December 2018
In December 2018, the $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam keeps on having active campaigns as you can see from the below screenshot:
A high probability exists that social media networks might be used as a distribution medium once again. Banner advertisements with a holiday image might try to mislead people into thinking they can get their hands on a FREE $1000 Amazon Gift Card but that is all part of the scam as you might know by now. Amazon Gift Cards are in actuallity a custom ammount, so you have to thread carefullly if you had stumbled upon any such misleading media content on, say Facebook, Twitter or YouTube for example. The image featured above this paragraph is just one of the many other banners and landing pages that could, in fact, be scattered across the Web.
Be aware that there is nothing free, especially when the Internet is involved.
Amazon Gift Card Scam – How to Avoid It?
In this section, you will find out if a $1000 Amazon Gift Card truly exists and how you might avoid most scams related to it, following a simple set of rules and guidelines. So, if you are reading this article, you should now know that there is a multitude of scams promoting a $1000 Amazon Gift Card. That begs the question if there really is such an Amazon gift card. The answer is yes, but it’s not a standard one, and you can make a card with a Custom amount.
Refer to the following guidelines on how to avoid most scams related to gift cards and phishing pages below:
- Never use the gift card for payment outside of Amazon
- Don’t provide any gift card details (like the claim code) to someone you don’t know/trust
- Avoid payment requests for Amazon.com Gift Card claim codes
- Avoid payments that are made off the merchant site
- Avoid payments to guarantee the transaction
- Avoid payments to receive a large amount of money
- Avoid payments to guarantee a credit card or loan
- Avoid offers that seem too good to be true
- Avoid payments to someone whose identity you can’t confirm
The guideline rules listed above were taken directly from official resources of Amazon, namely Amazon.com Common Gift Card Scams and Amazon Help (Internet scams and phishing) pages.
Some of the scams related to Amazon can be removed by closing the tab or the whole browser. In case the scam pages, advertisements, pop-ups, and similar landing pages continue to bother you, then you probably have something on your computer generating them, and you should consider removing the malware and its related files. Read the instructions below for more information.
Remove $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam Adware
To remove $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam manually from your computer, follow the step-by-step instructions manual provided down here. If the manual removal does not get rid of the ads and shopping pop-ups from appearing, you should search for and remove any leftovers with an advanced anti-malware tool. Such a program can keep your computer secure in the future.
Tsetso Mihailov
Tsetso Mihailov is a tech-geek and loves everything that is tech-related, while observing the latest news surrounding technologies. He has worked in IT before, as a system administrator and a computer repair technician. Dealing with malware since his teens, he is determined to spread word about the latest threats revolving around computer security.
Follow Me:
- Windows
- Mac OS X
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
- Internet Explorer
- Stop Push Pop-ups
How to Remove $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam and related software from Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 4: Clean Any registries, Created by $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam on Your PC.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.
Video Removal Guide for $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam (Windows).
Get rid of $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam and remove related files and objects
Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 2: Scan for and remove $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Video Removal Guide for $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam (Mac)
Remove $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam from Google Chrome.
Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu
Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"
Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Erase $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam from Mozilla Firefox.
Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window:
Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.
Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Uninstall $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam from Microsoft Edge.
Step 1: Start Edge browser.
Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".
Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Remove $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam from Safari
Step 1: Start the Safari app.
Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.
Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".
Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.
Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.
Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam will be removed.
Eliminate $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam from Internet Explorer.
Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'
Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.
Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.
Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.
Remove Push Notifications from Your Browsers
Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome
To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.
Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:
Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:
Step 4: Open “Notifications”:
Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:
Remove Push Notifications on Firefox
Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.
Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":
Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”
Stop Push Notifications on Opera
Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.
Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.
Step 3: Open Notifications:
Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):
Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari
Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.
Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam-FAQ
What Is $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam?
The $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam threat is adware or browser redirect virus.
It may slow your computer down significantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.
What Are the Symptoms of $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and have poor performance in general.
Symptom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.
Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.
Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.
Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts recommend that you check your computer for viruses.
What Types of Unwanted Programs Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your Mac can be the following types:
- Rogue Antivirus programs.
- Adware.
- Browser hijackers.
- Clickers.
- Fake optimizers.
What to Do If I Have a "virus" like $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your email passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activities with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these recommendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
How Does $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam Work?
Once installed, $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam can collect data about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. This data is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.
$1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam can also download other malicious software onto your computer, such as viruses and spyware, which can be used to steal your personal information and show risky ads, that may redirect to virus sites or scams.
Is $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam Malware?
The truth is that PUPs (adware, browser hijackers) are not viruses, but may be just as dangerous since they may show you and redirect you to malware websites and scam pages.
Many security experts classify potentially unwanted programs as malware. This is because of the unwanted effects that PUPs can cause, such as displaying intrusive ads and collecting user data without the user’s knowledge or consent.
About the $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.
How did we conduct the research on $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam?
Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the $1000 Amazon Gift Card Scam threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.
I want to stop getting fake unredeemable rewords….help
I got this for the first time online @ Sheetz through Century Link I believe is their cable people; I fell for it due to the social media links; then I got a shot of T&A–we could all use some of that every once in awhile–problem is, it can get you in a lot of trouble. My phone sometime around this began dialing on its own although it seemed to have started doing so on its own a little earlier than when the gift card appeared–my lucky day aw
The first time I saw this, I pressed cancel. Then it redirected me to a page that looked a lot like the Apple website, but with a pixelated logo in the top left, and it told me that my phone was infected with a virus and I needed to install some program to get rid of it. Extremely deceptive site.
The people creating these scams are sick jerks and they need to have their rights to use technology revoked.
They are now sending this via text….are there any special instructions to make sure my phone is not infected????
I need to cancel what it submitted. Inc ss#. How do I do something?? Help. Critical time is of essence. They really took my social. Amazon 1k card is bogus and a scam.