Identified Scam:

Fake Amazon Calls Expose Users to Phishing Attempts

If you receive a call from Amazon about suspicious activity on your account, it's likely a scam, and you should hang up immediately.


Verified.org
Updated 6 June 2022
Fake Amazon Calls Expose Users to Phishing Attempts
Identified Scam:
Key Finding

Scammers impersonate Amazon in this phone scam which attempts to steal your personal information. 


Key Risk

The scammers could gain access to your Amazon account or credit card to make fraudulent purchases.

Sections on this page
  1. How the Amazon Scam Calls Work
  2. Red Flags of Amazon Scam Calls
  3. How to Beat Amazon Scam Calls
  4. Have You Received Amazon Scam Calls?
  5. Frequently Asked Questions

Amazon scam calls can happen to anyone with a phone and anyone who uses Amazon. Often, the main goal is to have you provide personal information so the scammer can commit identity fraud. If you get a call from Amazon, it's likely a scammer as Amazon doesn't make unsolicited calls to customers.

Amazon will never call you and ask for personal information. If there are any issues with your account, you'll receive an email about it from an official Amazon email address. In the U.S. Amazon emails will only come from an @amazon.com account.

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How the Amazon Scam Calls Work

You receive a recorded phone call from Amazon notifying you of suspicious activity on your account, which can be rectified by holding the line and answering some questions. Once you give up your personal information, the Amazon phishing scam is complete, and your identity has been stolen.

Note that Amazon will never call and ask you for your account or other personal information.

You Receive a Recorded Phone Call from Amazon

Your phone rings, and it's a recording letting you know there was suspicious activity on your Amazon account. The recording tells you someone made an expensive purchase or a recent order could not be filled. It then asks you to press a number to speak to an Amazon representative to clear up the issue.

They may also ask you to stay on the line to connect with someone or ask you to call a number to speak with customer service.

Example of Scam Amazon Call

This is Amazon Security. We have noticed some suspicious activity on your account for the amount of $518. If you have not made such transaction, please press 1. 

Example of a Fake Amazon Call

This is Amazon calling to confirm a payment for $450 from your account. A payment has been made for an iPhone 13 for $450. Please press 1 if you did not make this purchase.

You’re Asked to Verify Your Personal Information

You click the number indicated by the recording to connect with an Amazon employee. The person on the phone says there's been suspicious activity on your account.

To help verify your account, the caller asks you to provide them with your Amazon login credentials. They may even ask for your credit card number on your account, claiming they need to verify a purchase.

You Provide the Information—Your Identity is Stolen

You want to clear up the suspicious activity on your Amazon account, so you provide the caller with the information as requested. Once the caller gets what they need, they end the conversation and say that's all they need to clear things up.

After the call, you get a notification from your credit card company about suspicious purchases or attempted identity theft. You then realize the caller wasn't from Amazon but was a scammer looking to steal your personal information.

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Red Flags of Amazon Scam Calls

Unfortunately, Amazon phishing phone calls are common and can happen to anyone.

Most Amazon scam calls start with a recording informing you there's been suspicious activity on your account.

They'll say something like, "an unauthorized purchase of an iPhone for $700 is being ordered from your account." The recording will prompt you to either press a number to connect with an Amazon representative or stay on the line to speak to someone about clearing the transaction.

Amazon Scam Calls: Watch What Happens If You Stay On the Line

How to Beat Amazon Scam Calls

If you receive a call claiming to come from Amazon, you can follow these tips:

  • Don’t answer calls from suspicious numbers or numbers you don’t know
  • Don’t share your personal information over the phone
  • Hang up if you receive a recorded phone call from Amazon
  • Be wary of callers requiring immediate action

Amazon won't ever call you about suspicious activity on your account unless you've requested a callback or contacted them first. If there is suspicious activity, you'll receive an email from Amazon. 

Don't Answer Calls From Numbers You Don't Know

If you get a phone call from an unknown number, don't answer it. If the scammer can't get you on the phone, they won't be able to scam you. Some scammers will leave voicemails with call-back numbers, but it's not a good idea to contact someone if you don't know who they are or why they're calling.

If Amazon notices an issue with your account, they will email you rather than call you.

Contact Details

Amazon



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Verified Contact Details

It's important to verify links and contact details to beat imposters.

Don't Share Personal Information Over the Phone

If someone calls you asking for your Amazon login information, social security number, or credit card number, don't give it to them. Amazon will never ask you to provide personal information over the phone.

Hang Up If You Receive a Recorded Phone Call from Amazon

Often Amazon phishing calls come from automated recordings asking you to press a number on your phone to be connected with a representative. They may also provide you with a number to call if you want to learn more about your account's suspicious activity. Don't press any numbers or call anyone. If you get a suspicious call from Amazon, hang up the phone.

Amazon doesn't call customers to report strange account activity.

Be Wary of Callers Who Request Immediate Action

Amazon scammers don't want to give you time to think. They want to create a sense of urgency and scare you into answering their questions, giving them your information. If the caller is pushing you to respond quickly and won't allow you to ask any questions, it's a scam.

If you try to ask questions, they’ll often start getting impatient and even be rude to you. If they think you’re catching on to the scam, they’ll usually hang up on you.

Have You Received Amazon Scam Calls?

You never want to give out personal information over the phone, but if you do, there are steps you can take to keep yourself safe:

  • Inform your bank or credit card company that your information has been compromised
  • Change your Amazon password
  • Report the scam

Call Your Bank Immediately

If you provided the scammer with credit card information, contact your credit card company right away. Most credit card companies have fraud protection in place and can cancel any unauthorized transactions. They can also cancel your card and send you a new one with a new number so the scammer can charge anything to your account.

Protect Your Amazon Account

If you gave the scammer login credentials for your Amazon account, change your password and activate a two-step verification (2SV) if you haven't already.

You can also contact Amazon's customer support via online chat and let them know you have a security concern, and they'll work with you to make sure your information is secure. You can also visit their Protect Your System page for additional tips on keeping your Amazon account safe.

Contact Details

Amazon



Verified.org

Verified Contact Details

It's important to verify links and contact details to beat imposters.

Report the Scam to the FTC

Amazon asks that you report all phishing call scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). On their website, you can report fraud and report identity theft.

Follow the screen prompts to file your report. Once the report is filed, the FTC will provide follow-up actions if needed.  The FTC will likely not help you get any money back if the scammer charged your credit card or request a gift card payment, but providing information helps the FTC keep phishing call scams from happening to others.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I report a phishing call to Amazon?

Amazon requests that phishing phone calls from Amazon impersonators be reported to the Federal Trade Commission. 

How do I report Amazon phishing emails?

Send Amazon phishing emails to [email protected] as an attachment. Amazon probably won't respond to you directly. 

How do I stop Amazon scam calls?

Unfortunately, there's no way to completely avoid being called by an Amazon scammer, other than to deactivate your Amazon account (or your phone). You can, however, use a scam blocker on your phone to minimize the number of calls you receive.

What happens if I press 1 on Amazon scam calls?

If you do press a number on an automated Amazon scam call, you are likely connected to a real person (i.e., the scammer) who will attempt to steal (or "phish") information from you. At this point, you're safe as long as you don't give them any information and simply hang up. 

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