Top 10 Amazon scams in 2025 and how to avoid them

Scams are a ubiquitous problem across online marketplaces, including Amazon. Amazon is especially popular with scammers because it has so many users, and people tend to trust the platform with their money and personal information.

Most scams begin with the victim receiving a spam call or text or phishing email. The content of the message depends on the nature of the scam being run, but it’ll almost always involve a supposed issue (like an expensive recent purchase) or an opportunity (like a lucrative job offer). Either way, it’ll usually involve an urgent call to contact Amazon support.

Naturally, the phone number or email provided won’t actually belong to genuine Amazon representatives; you’ll be put in touch with scammers out to steal your money or personal info.

Most common Amazon scams to watch for

Unauthorized purchase scam

In this scam, the victim receives a phone call, text, or email claiming they have purchased an expensive item on Amazon.

To "cancel" the charge, they are urged to click a link or call a number, where fake customer support representatives convince them to share sensitive information like passwords or credit card details.

The truth is, Amazon does not call users to confirm larger purchases. Log into your account and check your Returns & Orders and Message Center pages to see if there’s actually an issue.

Phishing emails and fake order confirmations

Similar to unauthorized purchase scams, a fake order confirmation email will land in your inbox showing something expensive.

The email will urge you to click a suspicious link to contact “customer support” to “dispute” your order. However, scammers on the other end will ask you to divulge sensitive information or payment details.

Fake job offers from Amazon

Unsolicited offers to work for Amazon are almost always scams. Generally, they promise remote work for high pay without asking much in the way of qualifications or experience.

The scam can work in a number of ways, but victims are usually asked to pay for equipment or training. Once paid, the scammers take this money and vanish.

Amazon gift card scam

Scammers love gift cards because they offer an untraceable and non-refundable way to move money around. If anyone contacts you asking that you buy an Amazon gift card, it’s almost certainly a scam.

Even if a friend or family member asks you to buy gift cards, ask them why they need them and consider whether they’re being scammed.

Technical support scam

Scammers frequently pose as Amazon support reps. They reach out to a potential victim and claim there’s an issue with their account, like fraud or a hack.

To help you “fix” the problem, they may ask you to give them your account information or request remote access to your device. If you provide either, your money may be stolen and your account compromised.

Counterfeit product listings

Scammers offer fake versions of popular items at massive discounts. These knockoff products are made to look highly convincing, but you’ll either receive something of very poor quality or a cheap, totally unrelated product.

Amazon’s Brand Registry and transparency programs are helping combat these scams, but they can still slip through. Remember, if a price is too good to be true, you’re probably dealing with a scam.

Third-party seller scams

If you order something on Amazon and the seller asks you to cancel the order and buy the product on another platform instead, the seller is probably a scammer. Many e-commerce sites are simply fake, so it’s a good idea to learn how to spot them.

In any case, by leaving the platform, you’ll lose Amazon’s buyer protection. Vendors doing this often promise discounts, but the reality is that they’re out to take your money without providing the promised product—some will even steal your payment details.

Fake Amazon Prime renewal

Be wary if you get a call or email saying your Amazon Prime membership is expiring and urgent action is required—it could be a scam.

Scammers will usually give you a number or link to renew your plan and emphasize urgency. The goal is to get you to rush into sharing payment details with them without realizing that this is a scam.

Amazon does send email reminders about Prime subscriptions, but these don’t demand immediate action and will never ask you to call a phone number.

Brushing scam

Many Amazon users have received unexpected packages containing products they never ordered. This type of Amazon fraud is called brushing.

Scammers use your address to create fake orders and leave positive reviews under your name, making their products seem more trustworthy to future buyers.

While this might seem harmless, it often means your personal information has been compromised.

Amazon Prime Video scams

These scams usually start with pop-ups or fake emails alleging issues with your Amazon Prime Video account.

You may be asked to call a fake support number or click a link to "resolve" the issue. If you do this, scammers may ask for payment information or remote system access.

How to identify an Amazon scam

While there are many kinds of Amazon scams, most of them share similar warning signs. Things to look out for include urgent language, requests for sensitive information, requests to click on links or call numbers, or spelling mistakes in any messages you receive (though these are now less common with the use of AI tools).

Email scams

Scam emails often contain certain common red flags. The body of the message might contain grammatical errors, incorrect personal details, or calls for immediate action. Be especially cautious of links or attachments, which can lead to phishing sites or contain malware.

Scammers can spoof Amazon email addresses, so be careful. When in doubt, go directly to Amazon’s website instead of interacting with the email. If there’s actually an issue, you should be able to tell from within the Message Center after logging into your account.

You can learn how to spot scam emails fairly well, but I still recommend taking measures to block spam emails to avoid the threat entirely.

Phone call scams

Scam Amazon calls often start with an automated message claiming that there’s a problem with your account or a suspicious order. The caller may pretend to be from Amazon customer service and ask for payment details, account passwords, or even remote access to your device.

Even if the displayed number matches an official Amazon line, I recommend hanging up and dialing the number manually. This is because scammers can spoof phone numbers. In any case, Amazon will rarely if ever reach out over the phone; they’re much more likely to use email.

Given the huge number of phone-based scams, I recommend taking measures to block spam calls.

Text message scams

Amazon text message scams claim to come from the e-commerce site in an effort to steal your money or personal information. They may urge you to dial a number, or they could contain a link to a phishing site (when taking place over SMS, this is called smishing). Clicking the link or calling the number will lead to someone trying to steal your personal information.

Suspicious Amazon website or app activity

Unknown purchases, login alerts from unfamiliar locations, or changes to your shipping or payment info could be a sign of unauthorized access. Just make sure there’s actually suspicious activity; don’t trust someone simply telling you that there has been.

To be certain, manually navigate to Amazon’s website rather than following any links. Log in and check for any alerts before reviewing your Returns & Orders page. If you have reason to think there’s an issue, go straight to your Login & Security page and change your password.

You can also use the “Compromised account?” feature to secure your account against unauthorized access.

What to do if you were scammed on Amazon

Though it may be too late to recover stolen funds, it’s still important to take quick action. Whether you gave away personal information, lost money, or clicked a suspicious link, here’s what you should do:

Secure your Amazon account

If you’ve provided someone with your account details, change your Amazon password right away. Even if you haven’t, I recommend enabling two-factor authentication if it’s not already on.

Check your recent orders, saved payment methods, and account settings for any changes. Remove any unfamiliar devices and log out of all sessions to prevent further unauthorized access.

Contact your bank or credit card provider

If you believe you may have given a scammer any of your financial details or notice any fraudulent charges, notify your bank or credit card provider immediately. They can freeze or cancel the card, potentially reverse suspicious charges, and help protect your funds from further theft.

Report the scam to Amazon

Amazon provides forms for reporting various types of malicious activity, from brushing to gift card scams. If you’re a victim, follow the instructions and fill out a report. You might not directly benefit, but your action could help others.

Report the scam to the FTC or local authorities

Contacting local law enforcement can help authorities recognize and (hopefully) deal with the huge problems caused by scammers. If you’re in the US, you can submit a report to the FTC via their website or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP.

How to protect yourself from Amazon scams

With scams growing more convincing by the day, protecting yourself on Amazon takes more than just caution. By staying alert and learning online shopping safety tips, you can significantly reduce your risk of falling for a scam. Here are some general practices to adopt:

Use two-factor authentication

Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) on your Amazon account adds an extra layer of security. Even if someone gets your password, they won’t be able to log in without a secondary piece of information (like a code sent to your phone). It’s a simple step that dramatically reduces the risk of unauthorized access.

Don’t click on suspicious links

Whether it’s in an email, text, or pop-up message, never click a link unless you’re sure it’s from Amazon.

Scammers often use lookalike URLs to trick users into logging in or sharing personal information. Instead, navigate directly to Amazon.com through your browser and check for alerts there.

Tools like ExpressVPN’s Threat Manager can also block known phishing domains automatically, even if you accidentally click a malicious link.

Never pay outside of Amazon’s platform

Scammers sometimes try to lure victims into making payments using wire transfers, third-party gift cards, or other methods outside of Amazon’s checkout system. No matter how good a deal sounds, never accept a vendor’s offer to move off the platform.

Use strong, unique passwords

Use long passwords consisting of a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols for maximum safety. It’s also worthwhile to ensure you aren’t reusing passwords you’re using for accounts on other platforms, as these might get breached too. This might sound difficult, but using a password manager with an auditing tool like ExpressVPN Keys makes all of this pretty easy.

Stay informed on current scam trends

Scammers are constantly evolving their tactics, meaning it’s crucial to stay updated on the latest scams so you can recognize and avoid them. Follow this blog to learn about the latest scam trends. Pay attention to any news you hear about scams in the media or online.