In short
Most common fake: Fake order confirmations or shipping updates for purchases you did not make.
Safest check: Open the Amazon app or type the Amazon website address yourself and check Your Orders.
Where to report it: Report a suspicious message, call or website using the report a scam page at amazon.com/reportascam.
What Amazon says
Amazon says it will only take payment on its website, in its app or in its physical stores, never over the phone or by email, and it will never ask you to buy gift cards. It also says it will not ask you to install software or give remote access to your device to get customer service. Source: Amazon
Common fake Amazon messages
These are the 5 shapes a fake Amazon message usually takes. They are listed in the order we see them most often, and none of them is something Amazon itself does.
- Fake order confirmations or shipping updates for purchases you did not make
- Calls or messages claiming a problem with your account that needs your password or a one-time code
- Fake refund offers or product recall emails with links to non-Amazon websites
- Requests to pay with gift cards or to install remote access software
- Job offers promising high daily pay for simple remote tasks
Amazon's real web addresses
Genuine Amazon links and emails use these domains. Look at the part just before the first single slash: amazon.com is real, but amazon-support-center.com or amazon.com.account-check.top are not.
- amazon.com
- amazon.jobs
Scammers can also hide a fake link behind real-looking text. Learn how to read a web address.
How to check a Amazon message safely
- Open the Amazon app or type the Amazon website address yourself and check Your Orders
- Look in the Message Center in your Amazon account, where genuine Amazon messages also appear
- In Gmail, Yahoo and other common email apps, look for the Amazon smile logo icon next to genuine Amazon emails
- Do not call phone numbers from an unexpected text or email, contact Amazon through its app or website instead
How to report a fake Amazon message
- Report a suspicious message, call or website using the report a scam page at amazon.com/reportascam. Official details on trustworthyshopping.aboutamazon.com
- Email reportascam@amazon.com, which also works if you are not an Amazon customer. Official details on trustworthyshopping.aboutamazon.com
Also report it to the official fraud service in your country. See the worldwide list.
If you clicked, paid or shared details
Act quickly. It makes a difference.
- If you entered card or bank details, call your bank now using the number on your card, and ask them to block the card.
- If you entered a password, change it at amazon.com, typed into your browser yourself, and turn on two-step verification. Do not use any link from the message.
- Expect follow-up calls or messages pretending to help, sometimes claiming to be from Amazon security. Never share one-time codes and never move money to a "safe account".
- Report a suspicious message, call or website using the report a scam page at amazon.com/reportascam, then delete the message.
More help: Phishing links and fake login pages and what to do after a scam.
How to protect yourself next time
Use a password manager
It only fills in your password on the real website, so a look-alike login page gets nothing. It also makes a different password for every account, so one leak doesn't open the rest.
Free: Bitwarden has a free plan, and even the password manager built into your phone or browser beats reusing one password everywhere.
- NordPass Partner link Password manager with a free plan and a family plan for up to six people.
Turn on two-step verification, ideally with a security key
With two-step verification, a stolen password isn't enough on its own. A hardware security key goes further: it simply doesn't work on a fake site, so it can't be phished.
Free: Two-step verification is free. Switch it on in the security settings of your email, bank, WhatsApp and social media accounts today.
- YubiKey (Yubico) Partner link A small USB or NFC key you tap when you log in. It will not work on a fake site.
Compare the tools that help, and what each costs
Links marked Partner link may earn us a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes our advice, and the free option always comes first. Affiliate disclosure.
Questions people ask
Does Amazon send messages asking for payment or personal details?
Amazon says it will only take payment on its website, in its app or in its physical stores, never over the phone or by email, and it will never ask you to buy gift cards. It also says it will not ask you to install software or give remote access to your device to get customer service.
How can I check if a Amazon message is real?
Open the Amazon app or type the Amazon website address yourself and check Your Orders. Look in the Message Center in your Amazon account, where genuine Amazon messages also appear. In Gmail, Yahoo and other common email apps, look for the Amazon smile logo icon next to genuine Amazon emails. Do not call phone numbers from an unexpected text or email, contact Amazon through its app or website instead.
How do I report a fake Amazon message?
Report a suspicious message, call or website using the report a scam page at amazon.com/reportascam. Email reportascam@amazon.com, which also works if you are not an Amazon customer.
I clicked a link in a fake Amazon message but did not enter anything. Am I at risk?
Opening a link is far less serious than filling one in. Close it, and if you need your account, reach it by typing amazon.com yourself. Clicking does tell the sender your number is live, so expect more messages for a while: report a suspicious message, call or website using the report a scam page at amazon.com/reportascam.
Have you had this one?
Tell other people what the message said and how it reached you. It helps someone recognise it before they tap.
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Official sources and further reading
We check our pages against official advice from the organisations themselves and from government agencies.