We want to help consumers avoid identity fraud this holiday season. These occur when scammers pretend to be a trusted company and try to access sensitive information such as social security numbers, banking information, and Amazon account details.
We found that over 50% of Amazon impersonation scams reported by customers this year were fake order confirmations. These unsolicited communications often refer to purchases (that you did not make) and ask you to act urgently to confirm the purchase. When you try to cancel a fake order by calling a supposed number, scammers try to steal your personal and financial information. We invest significant resources to protect our consumers and stores from these scammers.
“Scammers trying to impersonate Amazon put consumers at risk,” said Dharmesh Mehta, vice president of Amazon Reseller Services. “Even though these scams take place outside of our stores, we will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on how to avoid scams.”
First, when interacting with Amazon, we want you to know that Amazon really is us. Earlier this year, we implemented industry-leading email verification technology in over 20 countries to help customers easily identify phishing emails and make it harder for scammers to commit fraud. Customers using Gmail, Yahoo!, and other popular email providers can be confident that their emails come from Amazon. This is because you will see the Amazon Smile logo icon in your inbox.we too Provide resources on how to communicate Whether an email, phone call, text message, or web page really comes from Amazon.
The second is to continue efforts to hold bad actors accountable. By 2022, we have begun removing over 20,000 phishing websites and his 10,000 phone numbers used as part of impersonation schemes. He has also referred over 100 malicious individuals to local law enforcement around the world and continues to support their efforts to ensure these scammers remain criminals. To go. be held accountable.
Third, educate consumers on how to avoid fraud. Malicious actors continue to try to evade detection, but there are some tips that can help you avoid identity fraud.
6 tips to protect yourself from identity theft scams
We encourage consumers to take advantage of the following tips when shopping this holiday season.
- Confirm purchases on Amazon. If you receive a message about purchasing a product or service, do not reply to the message or click on any links in the message. Instead, log into your Amazon account or use the Amazon mobile app to verify that it’s actually in your purchase history before taking action.
- Trust Amazon apps and websites. We never ask for payment over the phone or by email. May only be done via mobile app, website, or physical store. We will not call you and ask you to pay on another website or make a bank transfer.
- Beware of false urgency. Scammers often try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they are asked to do.
- Don’t pressure yourself to buy a gift card. We will never ask you to buy a gift card. Nor do legitimate sales or transactions require payment with gift cards.Read more about common gift card scams here help page.
- inquiry. If you are unsure, it’s safest to stop associating with potential scammers. inquiry Directly from the Amazon app or website. Do not call numbers texted or emailed or displayed in online search results. Amazon will not ask you to download or install any software to connect to customer service, nor will we require payment for customer service support.
- Check out what others are saying. See if anyone else has reported a similar situation.In the US, Amazon has partnered with the Better Business Bureau to give consumers searchable scam tracker You can search for suspicious communications reported by others by email, URL, phone number, etc.
Report Suspicious
If you receive a communication that you believe is not from Amazon, please report it immediately.Customers can use Amazon self-service tools Report anything suspicious in just a few steps. If you’re not a customer, you can still report suspicious messages at: stop-spoofing@amazon.comThese reports provide information to identify and take action against malicious actors, helping to stop fraud before it happens.
You are protected when shopping on Amazon
We have a team of over 12,000 people worldwide, including machine learning scientists, software developers, and expert investigators, dedicated to protecting our store and our customers from fraud and other forms of abuse. Always use Amazon’s official website and apps when looking for deals, making purchases, and checking your order history. We also stand behind all products in our store, whether sold by Amazon or an independent small business. Amazon Marketplace GuaranteeThis protection applies to products purchased in stores worldwide. In the unlikely event that a customer experiences a problem with the timely delivery or purchase status, we will resolve the issue with a refund or replacement.
Amazon is committed to protecting consumers from fraudsters who attempt to impersonate Amazon and take advantage of your trust. We do not tolerate fraudulent activity by criminals impersonating Amazon. We will continue to track down the villains and hold them accountable. We also work with trusted organizations to educate consumers and equip them with the tools they need to protect themselves.
