Quote:
Originally Posted by CC1
The would not have had access to the users account unless the user had activated the one click buying process at Amazon. Otherwise they would have had to have known the users Amazon user id and password to purchase anything.
|
Here's the review copied from Amazon and how this can happen.
1.0 out of 5 stars
FRAUD on the Fire!! Deregister yours before it ships!, November 18, 2011
I am a long-time kindle user. I love my kindle, I read from it every night, faithfully. So when the Fire was announced, I was right on top of pre-ordering it.
Fast forward a few months to this past Wednesday. I was excited - the day was finally here, and when I got a text message from Amazon saying my Fire had been delivered to my front door, I knew I would be rushing to open it when I got home from work.
Home I go, and straight to the lovely box waiting at my door that has 'Kindle Fire' written all over it - only to find that the box was already opened!!!
It was empty - the sad little brown wrapper from what I assume once held the charger or cables staging at me in silence. The box itself was all put back together - the quasi-origami design of the packaging made it impossible to tell it had already been opened until you got up close for a good look. But there was absolutely nothing inside - not even an invoice.
After picking my jaw (and heart) up off the floor, I immediately called Amazon. To their credit, the customer service lady was incredibly nice, efficient and sincere. She offered to ship out a replacement immediately. I was sad at what happened, and at having to wait longer, but it was resolved, at least. Or so I thought....
The next morning, I casually checked my email, and was stunned to find 21 separate emails from Amazon thanking me for my order. (Plus one from my bank, warning me of unusual activity on my card.) Amazon was thanking me for ordering almost $300 worth of mp3s from my brand new kindle fire!!!
So, obviously I didn't order the music, the low-life scum who stole my fire did.
So, 3 days of hell, 2 calls to my bank, 1 in-person visit to my bank, 1 call to Amazon, 2 chat sessions with Amazon later, and at least one more call to the bank to go (because no, they can't do a darn thing about the charges until they finish posting to your account, authorized doesn't count) - I ask this question which every kindle owner should ask:
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??
It happened because:
a) The fire is shipped in a box that advertised on the outside of the box exactly what it is. "Hello, you, thief, please come steal me!"
b) Although mine was shipped UPS 2nd day (yes, I am a Prime member also), no signature was required. I also kow other people who ordered fires, and they were shipped via smartpost (USPS). Shouldn't something worth $200 at least require a signature?
c) The fire was shipped pre-registered (already connected) to my account. This means that the thief did not have to have any of my personal information. He did not need to hack something or register anything - all he had to do was click 'buy' and my account was charged. Did I ask Amazon to pre-register my fire or connect it to my account when I purchased it? I most certainly did not. Amazon sees fit to do this all on their own, without warning or option, unless you specifically say you are buying it as a gift. So for anyone out there still waiting for their fire or kindle to be delivered, I strongly suggest you go de-register it until you physically have it in your hands. (It only takes a minute to register it again.)
d) And this is the really big one that doesn't stop with delivery issues:
WHY IS NO PASSWORD REQUIRED TO MAKE PURCHASES FROM YOUR KINDLE??
Just think for a minute. Every purchase you make with your kindle or fire is charged to your default card. There's no password, no sign-in, nothing. So anyone who physically has a hold of your device has a direct line to your credit card. Remember this if you lose it or it gets stolen, and you might want to be extra careful who you loan it to.
Really, Amazon - how hard is it to make a password requirement for purchases?
I was thinking of giving my fire to my daughter. The fact that she could purchase anything she wants without a password (and therefore without any oversight) is making me think again.
I return to the fact that I love my kindle. I really do. But this experience has opened my eyes to what is a HUGE security risk with these devices.
Linear Mode
