The con has increased by tenfold in the second half of the year and involves scammers pretending to be an Amazon staff member, who email customers threatening to suspend their account unless it is updated.
Customers then receive an attachment, with a request to update the account, but are subsequently sent fake links which aim to retrieve personal information such as bank account details and account log-in information.
It stands as the most common scam reported to the online retailer throughout 2023 and shoppers have been urged to be careful in the days leading up to Black Friday. In that same period in 2022, Amazon found the number of impersonation scams rose by three times on the previous year.
Data from Barclays this month found a 22% increase in money lost to fraudsters during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales period in 2022 due to ‘fake purchase scams’ – in which fraudsters stole an average of £970 from victims.
Shoppers should only use retailers official channels to get Black Friday bargains
Amazon says it is ‘urging any consumer who receives suspicious correspondence to report it immediately’ at reportascam@amazon.com.
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Scott Knapp, global director at Amazon, said: “Amazon has zero tolerance for fraud of any kind and is committed to stopping scammers from using our brand to take advantage of people who trust us. This holiday season, consumers should be vigilant and only use Amazon-owned channels like Amazon’s app or website to shop or contact us.”
The online retailer has set out five tips on how to avoid being caught out by con artists. Here they are:
Five tips to avoid email attachment scams
- Trust Amazon-owned channels
Always go through the Amazon mobile app or website when seeking customer service, tech support, or when looking to make changes to your account.
- Be wary of false urgency
Scammers may try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they’re asking. Be wary any time someone tries to convince you that you must act now.
- Never pay over the phone
Amazon will never ask you to provide payment information, including gift cards (or “verification cards,” as some scammers call them), for products or services over the phone.
- Verify links first
Review the link for misspellings or repeated characters. Legitimate Amazon websites contain “amazon.co.uk” or “amazon.co.uk/support.” Go directly to our website when seeking help with Amazon devices/services, orders or to make changes to your account.
- Verify email senders
Legitimate Amazon emails contain “@amazon.co.uk”. In your web browser, hover over the display name under “From” to see full sender address. Look for misspellings or added or substituted characters. Visit the Message Centre to view authentic messages from Amazon.