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F-Secure Scam Protection
Protect your family from Amazon scams
Over $12 billion was lost to online fraud in 2024 alone (Federal Trade Commission 2025) — and as the world’s leading e‑commerce site, Amazon has become a prime target for scammers. Phishing, brushing, triangle scams, and more are all covered in our comprehensive guide to avoiding Amazon scams. Learn how to shop safely and protect yourself.
Amazon scams demystified
With Amazon’s global dominance in e-commerce, it has become an attractive target for cyber criminals. Scammers continually evolve their tactics to exploit both the platform and its users, resulting in significant financial losses and security concerns. While Amazon is generally a secure platform, bad actors are always looking for new victims to target. This overview examines the key aspects of Amazon-related scams to help you better understand the threat landscape.
Consumers are facing a global scam pandemic, with 36% receiving more scam attempts in 2023 than the previous year. Common scams targeting US consumers range from shopping scams to investment fraud, showing the need for trusted service providers to offer easy-to-use, holistic scam protection solutions that protect customers when and where they need it.
Fast facts:
In 2023, Amazon was the second most impersonated company in the US, behind Best Buy.
In the same period, victims reported losses in excess of $19 million.
In 2024, Amazon shut down over 55,000 phishing websites impersonating its brand.
Sources: Federal Trade Commission 2024 & Amazon.com 2025.
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Consumers are facing a global scam pandemic, with 36% receiving more scam attempts in 2023 than the previous year. Common scams targeting US consumers range from shopping scams to investment fraud, showing the need for trusted service providers to offer easy-to-use, holistic scam protection solutions that protect customers when and where they need it.
Fast facts:
Almost 70% of cyber attacks rely on psychological manipulation — and Amazon scammers are quick to exploit it.
Scammers targeting Amazon shoppers often prey on trust, fear, urgency, and curiosity — with urgency being the most effective at bypassing rational thinking.
Deepfake technology is an emerging threat in Amazon impersonation scams, with hyper-realistic audio of fake customer service agents used to exploit trust and deceive victims.
Source: Federal Trade Commission 2024 & Verizon 2024.
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Consumers are facing a global scam pandemic, with 36% receiving more scam attempts in 2023 than the previous year. Common scams targeting US consumers range from shopping scams to investment fraud, showing the need for trusted service providers to offer easy-to-use, holistic scam protection solutions that protect customers when and where they need it.
Fast facts:
82% of identity theft victims describe their experience as making them feel worried or anxious, with an alarming 12% reporting having suicidal thoughts as a consequence.
70% of Amazon impersonation scams target customers’ personal information and payment details.
The average financial loss per victim of an Amazon scam has now surpassed $1,000.
Source: Federal Trade Commission 2021, Amazon.com 2025, & Statista 2024.
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Consumers are facing a global scam pandemic, with 36% receiving more scam attempts in 2023 than the previous year. Common scams targeting US consumers range from shopping scams to investment fraud, showing the need for trusted service providers to offer easy-to-use, holistic scam protection solutions that protect customers when and where they need it.
Fast facts:
There was a 71% increase in phone-based Amazon impersonation scams from February to March 2025.
In November 2024, Amazon reported that 94% of scams used one of three main contact methods: emails, calls, or SMS.
The most common scam tactics involve fake order confirmations and false account issues, creating a false sense of urgency to prompt victims to act before thinking.
Sources: Amazon.com 2024.
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Telltale signs of Amazon scam messages
Fake account lockouts
If your Amazon account is ever restricted, you won’t be asked to click on a suspicious link to reset it. Instead, you’ll receive instructions to visit the official Amazon.com website and recover your account from there.
Fake account lockouts are designed to trigger fear — often strong enough to override common sense.
Shady sender IDs
Official communications from a company such as Amazon will come from clearly identified and verifiable accounts.
Overseas phone numbers, unknown contacts, and strange email addresses should be treated with suspicion.
Unrecognizable or hidden links
Legitimate companies will never send you a link via SMS — especially not a shortened URL that hides the real domain.
If you are ever unsure about a link, don’t click it. It could lead to a phishing site or install spyware or malware onto your device, putting your personal data at risk.
Sense of urgency
Amazon will never pressure you to act quickly or claim you have a short window to unfreeze your account.
Urgency is one of the most effective psychological tactics for scammers — don’t fall for it.
Poor spelling and grammar
Scammers are often not native English speakers, and their phishing or smishing attempts may contain awkward phrasing or obvious errors.
If you notice even a single misspelled word in a message or email claiming to be from a large company, treat it as a red flag and verify the message through a trusted channel.
If you know what signs to look for, spotting an Amazon scam message becomes much easier — so you can delete the message and move on with confidence.
The examples shown here are real scam attempts by criminals pretending to be Amazon.com. However, cyber crime continues to evolve rapidly, and scammers are becoming even more sophisticated. If you’re unsure about a message or email, always verify it by contacting the company directly before taking any action.
Common Amazon scams
Amazon’s massive user base makes it an attractive target for scammers employing increasingly sophisticated tactics. Understanding how these schemes work is your first line of defense. The following scams represent some of the most common threats targeting Amazon users worldwide. By learning to recognize the red flags, you can protect your personal information and financial assets from these evolving fraud attempts.
Amazon phishing email scam
Scammers send official-looking emails claiming to be from Amazon about suspicious account activity, unauthorized purchases, or shipping problems. These Amazon scam emails contain links to fake login pages designed to steal your credentials. They often create urgency (Your account will be suspended
) and include Amazon’s logo and formatting to appear legitimate, making them among the most common Amazon fraud tactics.
Amazon triangle scam
In this elaborate scheme, scammers create fake Amazon seller accounts and list popular products at suspiciously low prices. After receiving payment, they fulfill orders using stolen credit cards to purchase from legitimate retailers who ship directly to victims. The Amazon triangle scam creates three victims: the buyer who may unknowingly receive stolen goods, the legitimate retailer, and the credit card holder whose information was used fraudulently.
Amazon brushing scam
Fraudulent sellers sometimes ship inexpensive products to random addresses, then use those deliveries to post fake ‘verified purchase’ reviews on their product listings. If you receive Amazon packages you didn’t order, you may be the target of an Amazon brushing scam. While you’re legally allowed to keep the merchandise, it means your address — and possibly other personal information — has been compromised. These fake reviews also undermine trust and damage the integrity of the marketplace.
Amazon Prime membership scam
Scammers send texts or emails claiming there’s a problem with your Amazon Prime membership renewal. These messages direct you to a fake website where you’re asked to update your payment information
— but in reality, the site is designed to steal your credit card details. Alternatively, scammers may call you pretending there was an accidental Prime charge, offering a refund and tricking victims into providing bank access under the guise of processing the refund.
Fake Amazon customer service scam
Fraudsters create fake Amazon customer service numbers that appear in Google search results or phishing emails. When unsuspecting victims call, scammers request remote access to their device under the pretense of solving a non-existent issue — then proceed to steal passwords, banking details, and other personal information.
Amazon gift card scam
Scammers impersonate Amazon representatives, claiming there’s an issue with your order or account that can be resolved by purchasing Amazon gift cards. They then instruct you to share the gift card codes as a form of verification. Once the codes are shared, your money is gone. This Amazon fraud tactic exploits the irreversible nature of gift card transactions, making recovery impossible.
Best practices for Amazon security
Amazon is the world’s biggest marketplace for a reason — it’s a one-stop shop for almost anything you need. But with its popularity comes risk: scammers frequently target shoppers with increasingly sophisticated tactics. Here are 10 best practices to help you shop safely on Amazon:
Verify emails claiming to be from Amazon. Check sender addresses carefully and never click suspicious links or provide personal information without confirming legitimacy.
Enable two-factor authentication on your Amazon account to prevent unauthorized access, even if your password is compromised.
Use a unique, complex password for your Amazon account and change it regularly to maintain strong account security.
Be wary of unusually low prices or too-good-to-be-true deals, as these often indicate counterfeit products or seller scams.
Only make purchases through Amazon’s secure checkout system. Never pay sellers through external methods, wire transfers, or gift cards.
Monitor your account activity regularly for suspicious orders or unauthorized changes to your shipping addresses and payment methods.
Research third-party sellers thoroughly by checking ratings, reviews, and how long they’ve been active on the platform.
Be cautious of unsolicited calls claiming to be Amazon support. Amazon will never ask for payment information over the phone.
Download the Amazon app only from official sources to protect yourself from fake or malicious versions. Additionally, keep your app updated to ensure you have the latest security protections.
Report suspicious activity to Amazon customer service immediately to protect your account and help others avoid similar scams.
How F‑Secure Total protects you from Amazon scams
F‑Secure Total provides comprehensive protection against e-commerce scams, including those targeting Amazon shoppers. The suite includes Shopping Protection that displays trustworthiness ratings for online stores in real-time, helping users identify legitimate Amazon sellers versus fraudulent ones. Its Browsing Protection automatically blocks malicious websites and phishing attempts that mimic Amazon’s login pages, while Banking Protection secures financial transactions by verifying legitimate payment pages and preventing access to fake checkout sites commonly used in Amazon scams.
Much more than just preventive measures, F‑Secure Total offers multi-layered security that safeguards your personal and financial information across all devices. The integrated VPN encrypts your connection when shopping online, protecting your data from potential interception on public Wi-Fi networks. Its advanced AI-powered SMS scam filtering automatically identifies and quarantines phishing messages claiming to be from Amazon about suspicious account activity
or delivery issues
. With these features working seamlessly together, F‑Secure Total provides the comprehensive protection needed to shop confidently on Amazon and other e-commerce platforms while keeping your identity and financial information secure.
Avoid shopping, browsing and SMS scams, and secure your online banking.
Prevent identity theft with 24/7 monitoring and alerts.
Block viruses and protect all your devices.
Encrypt your connection and keep your personal data and passwords protected.
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Stop online scammers with Total
F-Secure Total provides complete online security, privacy, and identity protection in one brilliantly simple app.
Avoid shopping, browsing and SMS scams, and secure your online banking
Prevent identity theft with 24/7 monitoring and alerts
Block viruses and protect all your devices
Encrypt your connection and keep your personal data and passwords protected
Make the internet a safer place for kids with limits and filters
Frequently asked questions
An Amazon triangle scam involves scammers creating third-party seller accounts, listing popular items at suspiciously low prices, then using stolen credit cards to buy the same items from legitimate retailers to ship directly to you. The buyer unknowingly receives stolen goods, while the legitimate retailer becomes the true victim, hit with a chargeback once the fraud is discovered.
Legitimate Amazon emails always come from addresses ending with @amazon.com. Check the sender’s full email address, be wary of urgent language, and avoid clicking suspicious links. Always verify communications by checking your Amazon Message Center directly through the official website.
Brushing scams occur when you receive unexpected packages you didn’t order. Scammers send these items using your publicly available address to create fake verified purchases, boosting their seller ratings with fabricated positive reviews under your name. These packages may also include QR codes that lead to phishing sites.
Amazon will never ask for personal information, account credentials, or payment details over the phone. Be suspicious of calls creating false urgency about account issues or requesting payment through gift cards. Legitimate Amazon representatives won’t ask for sensitive information over the phone.
Never click links in unexpected refund messages. Instead, log directly into your Amazon account to check your orders and refund status. Legitimate Amazon refunds will appear in your account history and usually arrive through multiple communication channels, not just a single text message.
Watch out for unrealistically low prices, unusual payment requests outside of Amazon’s secure system, new sellers with few or suspicious reviews, requests to pay with gift cards, and messages creating a false sense of urgency. These are common indicators of Amazon scams.
In 2024, 94% of Amazon scams used three main contact methods: emails, phone calls, and text messages (Amazon.com 2025). Emails with fake Amazon branding were the most common approach, followed by fraudulent phone calls claiming to be from Amazon customer service.
Report suspicious activity to Amazon customer service immediately. Change your passwords, monitor your financial accounts for unauthorized charges, and check your Amazon account for suspicious activity. Report any phishing attempts to reportascam@amazon.com or online here.