24 Jul 6 tips to avoid fraud and scams on Amazon

Every consumer must pay special attention to potential scams or identity theft during their online shopping processes. These situations can take various forms, but most of them occur when scammers impersonate a company and attempt to obtain confidential information from users.

In 2022, on Amazon, 50% of identity theft scams occurred through fake order confirmations. Typically, these scams involve confirming a purchase the customer didn’t make and requesting action regarding it.

In this article, we will explain the most appropriate way to proceed in order to avoid falling into these traps and ensure that your buying experience is safe, efficient, and optimal.

6 tips to stay safe from scams on Amazon

Below are a series of tips and recommendations to help you identify and avoid these scams as easily and quickly as possible.

1. Check your Amazon purchases: If you receive any message regarding an unfamiliar purchase, instead of responding to the message or clicking any links, log in to your Amazon account and check your purchase history. If there’s no record of the message you received, it is likely a scam.

2. Work with secure sources: Amazon will never ask you for payment information through any means other than the mobile app, the official website, or a physical store. If you receive a payment request through any other medium, do not take any action, as it is a scam.

3. Don’t fall for urgency: Often, scammers try to create a sense of urgency to convince you to take actions with sensitive information. Don’t fall for this urgency and, as mentioned before, never provide private information through any means other than the Amazon app, website, or physical store.

4. Be cautious with gift cards: Amazon will never ask you to pay with gift cards, so be alert if you receive such requests or demands for payment.

5. Contact Amazon directly: If you ever have any doubts about whether a message, call, or request from Amazon is part of a fraud, contact Amazon Customer Service directly through the app or website. Do not call or message any numbers not obtained from official channels. Also, keep in mind that Amazon does not require downloading any software to connect with their customer service, so if asked to do so, it’s a fraud.

6. Monitor other experiences: You can use a scam tracker like Scam Tracker to learn about experiences of other users that may be similar to yours. This tool will help you identify the truthfulness of the information you receive based on the experiences of other users like you.

Take action

If you believe you are a victim of fraud or identity theft, report it. Amazon offers various channels through which you can document what happened so that appropriate measures can be taken. By doing so, you will contribute to the fight against scams and identity theft, making online shopping a safer space.

Security on Amazon

Amazon employs over 15,000 professionals worldwide dedicated to protecting the platform and its customers from fraud and other types of scams. For this reason, it is essential to always use the official website and app when using their platform to ensure you are fully protected.»