Recognising scams on Amazon
Amazon is the world’s largest online shop, offering a wide selection of products at competitive prices. The large number of products and sellers, however, also attracts scammers. On this page we explain how to recognise common Amazon scams and protect yourself from them.
What is Amazon and how does it work?
Amazon is an online shop founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 that has grown into the world’s largest online shopping destination. Amazon operates in over 17 countries and its range includes hundreds of millions of products, from electronics to books and from household goods to groceries.
- Direct sales and marketplace - Amazon sells products itself but also offers a platform (marketplace) for third-party sellers.
- Prime membership - A paid membership programme that offers, among other things, free and fast delivery and additional services.
- Review system - Users can review products and sellers, which helps with purchase decisions.
- A-to-z Guarantee - Amazon’s buyer protection that protects users from scams and fraud.
- Lightning Deals - Short-term, limited offers in which product prices are reduced significantly.
The most common scams on Amazon
- Counterfeit products - Third-party sellers sell product counterfeits as genuine goods.
- Fake reviews - Sellers pay for positive reviews to be written or offer free products in exchange for five-star reviews.
- Phishing scams - Scammers send emails in Amazon’s name that lure login or payment details from victims.
- Price scams - A product’s price is raised before a sale so that the discount looks bigger than it is.
- Delivery scams - The seller marks the product as shipped, but it is either never sent or is a completely different product.
- Gift card scams - Scammers pose as Amazon staff and ask for gift card details or payments by gift card.
- Tech support scams - Scammers offer technical support in Amazon’s name and ask for account details or remote access to the computer.
- Invoice scams - The consumer receives an invoice bearing Amazon’s logo for a product they never ordered.
- Prime membership scams - The scammer sends an email about payment problems with the Prime membership and asks the payment details to be updated on a scam site.
How to recognise an unreliable seller on Amazon?
Millions of third-party sellers operate on Amazon’s marketplace. Here is how to recognise those that are not trustworthy:
Examine what percentage of the seller’s reviews are positive. If the figure is below 95%, be careful. Also read the critical reviews to understand the seller’s potential problems.
Recently created seller accounts with little order history are a greater risk. Trustworthy sellers typically have a long history and plenty of orders.
If the prices are significantly below the market price, especially for popular or valuable products, it may be a scam or a counterfeit.
Check the seller’s location on the product page. If the location is abroad, the delivery time may be longer and returns more difficult. This can also indicate a higher risk of counterfeiting.
Counterfeit products on Amazon
Counterfeits are one of the most common problems on Amazon. Here is how to recognise counterfeits and protect yourself from them:
- A price significantly below the market price - Genuine branded goods such as electronics, luxury products and cosmetics are rarely sold significantly below the recommended price.
- Suspiciously high discount percentages - Be on your guard if you see 70-90% discounts on branded products.
- Poor-quality product photos - Counterfeits often have poor-quality photos or photos copied from the official product.
- Odd product reviews - Short, vague and overly positive reviews with the same publication dates can be a sign of fake reviews.
- Vague or poor product descriptions - Language mistakes, inconsistencies or lack of clarity in product descriptions can indicate counterfeits.
Fake reviews
Fake reviews distort information that is critical for the purchase decision. Here is how to recognise inauthentic reviews:
If several reviews use the same language, phrases or style, it may indicate they were written by the same person or that a template was used.
If a product has received a large number of reviews over a few days or several reviews’ dates are close together, it can be a sign of fake reviews.
If a product has almost exclusively 5-star reviews without any criticism, especially when it is a new product, be sceptical. Genuine product reviews usually contain both positive and negative viewpoints.
Focus on reviews marked "Verified Purchase", which show that the reviewer really bought the product on Amazon.
Phishing scams carried out in Amazon’s name
Phishing scams are common, and scammers use Amazon’s brand to phish for users’ account details. Here is how to recognise them:
- Email scams about problems with an order - Messages reporting a failed payment, a cancelled order or suspicious activity.
- Links leading to a login page - Phishing messages often contain links that lead to Amazon-like but forged login pages.
- Phishing for gift card details - Scammers ask for gift card details to solve some "problem" or while a "payment is pending".
- Prime membership scams - Messages claim the Prime membership is about to expire and ask the payment details to be updated.
- Order confirmation scams - Messages about a fabricated order that you can "cancel" only by clicking a link and providing account details.
Amazon gift card scams
Gift card frauds have become more common, and they often use Amazon’s name. Here is how to recognise and avoid these scams:
Scammers call posing as Amazon employees and claim there are problems with your account that can only be solved by buying an Amazon gift card and reading its code over the phone.
Messages may claim you have won a gift card, but that you must pay a handling fee or provide personal details to "claim the prize".
Forged or invalid Amazon gift cards are sold online significantly below face value. These are sold on social media or on smaller websites.
Scammers pose as tax authorities and demand payment of tax debts with Amazon gift cards. No authority ever asks for payment by gift card!
Safe use of Amazon
- Use only the official Amazon site - Type the address (amazon.com or a country-specific version) into the browser yourself and never use links in emails.
- Check that the page is encrypted - There should be a padlock symbol in the address bar and the URL should start with "https://".
- Prefer Amazon’s own sales items - "Sold and shipped by Amazon" products are a safer choice than those offered by third parties.
- Update your password regularly - Use a strong, unique password for your Amazon account.
- Enable two-step verification - This prevents your account from being hijacked even if your password ends up in scammers’ hands.
- Check your orders regularly - Follow your order history to make sure there are no unauthorised purchases on your account.
- Do not save payment details - Although it is convenient, saving payment details increases the risks if a data breach occurs.
What to do if you are scammed on Amazon?
If you suspect you have been targeted by an Amazon scam, do the following:
File a complaint with Amazon customer service through your own account. Describe the problem as precisely as possible and attach evidence such as photos of the products, the chat history with the seller and payment receipts.
If you cannot reach an agreement with the seller, you can in most cases make an A-to-z Guarantee claim within 90 days of the estimated delivery date.
If Amazon does not resolve the problem, you can request a chargeback from the bank or credit card company. This is especially important if it is a phishing scam or an unauthorised charge.
You can report phishing scams carried out in Amazon’s name directly to them by sending the suspicious messages to Amazon’s official addresses reportascam@amazon.com (works even without an Amazon account) or stop-spoofing@amazon.com. The police and the National Cyber Security Centre are also good bodies to report serious scams to.
If you suspect a security problem or that your account has been hijacked, immediately change the password for your Amazon account and preferably for your email account too.
Amazon’s special features and scam risks
Fake product return and recall scams (2025)
In 2025, a scam became more common in which an email claims that a product you bought has been recalled for safety reasons. The message pressures you to click a link with which you supposedly confirm your right to compensation. The link, however, leads to a third-party page whose purpose is to steal your login and payment details. A genuine product recall always appears directly in your Amazon account under "Messages" or "Orders" - Amazon never asks you to confirm account details via a link in an email.
Text message scams under the guise of delivery and refund
Scam text messages increase especially after sale seasons and the Prime Day event, when customers are expecting delivery and refund notifications. The message may contain a link or a phone number through which you are asked to "confirm the delivery" or "claim a refund". Do not click links and do not call the number in the message. Always check the status of your order by logging in to the Amazon app yourself or at amazon.com.
Fake support numbers and remote access scam
A scam email or message may contain a phone number that connects you to a scammer, not to Amazon. On the phone, the scammer may ask you to read out a one-time code, pay by gift card or give remote access to your computer. Amazon never asks for any of these. Never give a stranger remote access to your device or read out a verification code over the phone. Contact support only through the Amazon app or the official website, not via a number given in a message.
- A huge selection - A selection of millions of products makes oversight difficult and makes it possible to sell counterfeits and poor products.
- Third-party sellers - Anyone can register as a seller, which increases the number of scammers.
- The review system - Manipulation of reviews is unfortunately common and makes finding trustworthy products harder.
- International trade - Ordering products from abroad raises the risks and makes complaints more difficult.
- Trusting the Amazon brand - Many people trust Amazon blindly, which makes phishing in Amazon’s name especially effective.
- Prime days and sales - Big discount campaigns attract scammers who exploit consumers’ hurry to get deals.