Amazon Phishing Emails

Look-out for fake Amazon order notification emails that ask you to call “fraud prevention support” if you didn’t authorise the supposed payment. The emails, which feature seemingly authentic Amazon branding, list supposed purchases for high priced items such as smart TVs and game consoles. The total cost of the listed purchases is usually several thousand dollars.

These emails are not from Amazon and they do not contain details of any real purchases made via your Amazon account. Even if you’ve never logged on to Amazon some of these scams can affect you, too. 

The goal of the scam emails is to panic you into calling the supposed fraud prevention number. The scammers hope that you will call in the mistaken belief that your account has been compromised and that high-value items have been purchased using your credit card. If you do call, you will be connected to a scammer posing as an Amazon fraud prevention support worker.  After you explain the situation, the scammer will claim that the purchase can be reversed and the supposed account breach rectified.

Then, the scammer will claim that to proceed with the reversal, he or she will need you to provide your credit card details, your Amazon login credentials, your name and address, and other sensitive personal information. After you provide the requested information, the scammer will assure you that the transaction has been reversed and that the funds will be put back into your account within a specified time-frame such as 24 hours.

You might relax, believing that you have dealt with the issue. But, now, the scammers can use the information stolen from you to hijack your Amazon account and make fraudulent purchases in your name, fraudulently use your credit card, and, possibly, steal your identity as well.

If you receive an email that claims to be from Amazon and lists purchases you know nothing about, be sure to proceed with caution. Do not call any number listed in the email. Do not click any links or open any attachments that the email contains.
Instead, log in to your Amazon account via your browser or a trusted app and check for any unauthorised purchases. Also, check your bank or credit card provider.  If the email is a scam, there will be no unexpected transactions listed in your accounts.

These are sophisticated frauds thar share some  characteristics with the fake Tech Support scams that have generated over £2m for criminals un the UK last year, according to Action Fraud.

If there are such transactions, you can then contact your credit card provider and Amazon for assistance. These scams work because the emails may appear genuine at first glance and they are designed to get people to act quickly without due forethought.

Amazon takes phishing and spoofing attempts seriously. If you receive correspondence you think may not be from Amazon, please report it to Amazon.

Amazon:       Kaspersky:       Hoax Slayer:     Hertforshire Mercury:      Action Fraud:

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