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Fake Amazon calls and texts: how to tell if it’s really Amazon

Got a call, text or email saying there is a suspicious purchase or a problem with your Amazon account? How the Amazon impersonation scam works, how to check for real, and what to do if you paid, shared details or gave remote access.

A recorded voice says it’s Amazon. There’s a suspicious purchase on your account, maybe an iPhone or a gift card, and you should press 1 to speak to someone. Or a text says your account is locked until you confirm your details. It isn’t Amazon. It’s one of the most common impersonation scams there is: the FTC found that about one in three people who reported a business impersonator said the scammer claimed to be Amazon (FTC).

How the fake Amazon scam works

  1. The hook. A call, robocall, text or email about a suspicious purchase, a lost package, an order that can’t be filled, or a Prime membership that is about to renew or end (FTC, Amazon).
  2. The “help”. You press 1 or call a number, and a friendly “Amazon agent” offers to cancel the order or secure your account.
  3. The remote access. They ask you to install an app so they can “fix” it or process a refund. That gives them your screen, and sometimes your online banking (FTC).
  4. The fake overpayment. They claim they refunded too much and beg you to send the difference back. The “refund” was your own money moved between your accounts (FTC).
  5. The gift cards. Or they tell you to buy gift cards and read out the numbers as “security codes” to block the hackers (FTC).
  6. The escalation. In a newer version, the caller says your identity was used for fraud, passes you to a fake “government agent” and tells you to keep it secret and move your savings to “protect” them (FTC).

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Signs it’s not really Amazon

  • The order they mention isn’t in Your Orders in the app or on the website. Amazon says that if a message doesn’t match an order there, it isn’t from Amazon (Amazon).
  • They want your password, card number, a one-time code or other personal details over the phone, or ask you to “verify” your account through a link (Amazon, Amazon).
  • The link goes to something like “payments-amazon.com” or a string of numbers. Real Amazon links have a dot right before amazon.com (or your country’s Amazon address) (Amazon).
  • They ask you to download software, give remote access, buy gift cards or move money.
  • They tell you to keep it secret or stay on the line. The FTC says no one legitimate will tell you to keep it a secret (FTC).

How to check if it’s really Amazon

  1. Hang up, or don’t reply. Don’t press any numbers and don’t call a number from the message.
  2. Open the Amazon app, or type the website address in yourself, and check Your Orders and your payment methods.
  3. Still unsure? Amazon says you can forward the message to verify@amazon.com, use its Verify Communications form, or ask Alexa for Shopping “Did you call me today?” (Amazon, Amazon).
  4. Don’t search online for an Amazon phone number. The FTC has had reports of fake support numbers in search results (FTC). Go through the help pages in the app or on the website instead.
  5. Talk to someone you trust before you do anything with money.

If you paid, shared details or gave remote access

  1. Call your bank or card provider straight away and tell them it was a scam payment. If you bought gift cards, contact the gift card company too.
  2. If you let them onto your computer or phone, disconnect it from the internet, uninstall the remote access app and get the device checked.
  3. From a device you trust, change your Amazon password and any password you shared, and turn on two-step verification.
  4. Use Amazon’s Report a scam page. It has separate steps depending on whether you shared account details, banking details or gave remote access.
  5. If they said your identity was stolen, check your credit report yourself (in the US, AnnualCreditReport.com), and if anything is wrong, use IdentityTheft.gov (FTC).
  6. Expect follow-up calls offering to “recover” your money for a fee. That’s another scam (FTC).

Where to report it

Send the message to Amazon at reportascam@amazon.com, ideally as an attachment (Amazon). Then report the scam where you live:

Questions

The caller ID said Amazon. Doesn’t that mean it’s real?

No. The FTC says scammers spoof their phone number to make it look like Amazon is calling. Don’t trust the caller ID. Hang up and check your account in the app or on the website yourself.

They say my identity was used to open accounts and I could be arrested. What do I do?

Hang up. The FTC warns this is part of the same scam, which can end with people draining their bank or retirement accounts. Talk to someone you trust, and check your credit report yourself if you’re worried.

They refunded too much and want me to send the difference back. Should I?

No. The FTC explains scammers move your own money between your accounts (for example from savings to checking) so it looks like a refund. Anything you “send back” is your own money.

How can I check if a message really came from Amazon?

Amazon says you can forward a suspicious message to verify@amazon.com, use its Verify Communications form, or ask Alexa for Shopping in the app. You can also just check Your Orders yourself.

I don’t have an Amazon account but got one of these. Where do I report it?

Amazon says you can send it to reportascam@amazon.com, ideally as an attachment. In the US you can also report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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