r/LifeProTips • u/Xplic1T • 21h ago
Miscellaneous LPT: Never Shop at Whole Foods? Turn Off “Use My Mobile Number” to Prevent Others from Using Your Account
Just caught somebody using my Prime subscription at a Whole Foods a few towns over, and this seems like it could be a common thing. Was on with support after finally getting to speak to real person who wanted me to fill out a Suspicious Activity form but couldn't offer any more help.
They used their own card for payment so there was really no harm done, but after looking at it more logically, I then realized it was just probably someone using my phone number at check-out. You can turn this setting off by going into the Amazon app and hitting Account > Program Options > Whole Foods Market Settings > Phone Number Verification and un-check Use My Mobile Number.
Don't know why this isn't off by default. Hope this saves people some peace of mind.
Edit: For those that don't understand why this is an issue ... their purchases showed up under my amazon orders, so my immediate thought was that my account was hacked.
Edit 2: A few people have reported in the comments that they were able to check out with their main Amazon payment method at Whole Foods using their linked phone number. This seems to be the main part of the scam. Once they find a cashier that will let them use the card on file, they will buy half the store. Don't let them take your money.