Pretends to be Amazon
Fake Amazon call, text or email
Is a call, text or email from "Amazon" about a suspicious purchase, refund or order problem a scam?
Yes. Amazon does not ask you to call a number, click a link, or move money to fix a problem. To check, open the Amazon app or type amazon.com yourself and look at your orders and messages.
Real organizations never do this. Stop. Hang up or delete it.
Also searched as: Amazon call, Amazon text, Amazon email, suspicious Amazon purchase, Amazon order problem, Prime membership renewal, Amazon refund, Amazon recall text
Draft: we're still checking this page. The quotes below are word for word from their sources.
What to do
On the phone right now?
- Stop. Hang up or close the message. Don't tap anything.
- Check. Call a number you already have, like the one on your card or bill.
- Talk to someone you trust before you pay anyone.
If anyone is in danger right now, call 911.
If you already paid
- Call the company you paid through right away: your bank, card company, gift card company, or the wire or Zelle service. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment.
- Call the Justice Department's National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If it happened online, report it at IC3.gov too.
General information, not legal or financial advice. If you've lost money, contact your bank and report it.
How it works
1 They reach you by
- Phone call
- Text message
- Website
2 They pretend to be
- Someone else
- Your bank
- Tech support
- Police or government
3 They ask for
- Tap a link
- Personal details
- Money
- Gift cards
- Control of your computer
- Secrecy
What it can look like
Example pattern, not a real message
Pretends to be Amazon. What gives it away:
- Pay with gift cards
- Keep it a secret
- Let them into your computer
What they may say
“routine quality inspection”
Warning signs
- They tell you to buy gift cards and read them the numbers. No real agency or company asks to be paid that way.
- They tell you not to tell your family or your bank. That keeps you from getting help.
- They ask you to install an app so they can see or control your computer or phone.
- They contacted you, then ask for your Social Security, Medicare or bank numbers.
- They want you to use their link or their phone number. Look up the real website or number yourself.
- They say you must pay right now or something bad will happen. Real organizations give you time to check.
Why we say this
How To Avoid Imposter Scams
This FTC guide is kept up to date. It lists Amazon impersonators among common business imposters. It also covers the warning signs, such as a faked caller ID, and what to do: don't click, don't send money, and check using contact details you know are real.
Scammers try to convince you they’re with the government or a business you recognize by faking the caller ID.
3 more quotes from this source
Never transfer or send money, cryptocurrency, or gold to someone you don’t know in response to an unexpected call or message.
Don’t believe anyone who says you have to quickly move your money to “protect” it. Anyone who tells you that is a scammer.
Don’t click on links or call phone numbers in unexpected messages. If you think the message could be real, verify the story. Contact the organization in question using a phone number, website, or email address you know is real. Don't use the contact information in the unexpected message.
Scammy texts offering “refunds” for Amazon purchases
The FTC warns about texts that look like they come from Amazon. They say an item you bought failed an inspection or was recalled, and offer a refund if you click a link. There is no refund, and the link is meant to steal your money or information.
You get an unexpected text that looks like it’s from Amazon. It claims the company did a “routine quality inspection” and an item you recently bought doesn’t meet Amazon’s standards or has been recalled. The text offers you a full refund and says you don’t need to return the item — as long as you click a link to request your money back. But there is no refund.
2 more quotes from this source
If you think the message could be legit, contact the company using a phone number, email, or website you know is real — not the info from the text.
If you’re worried, log in through the Amazon website or app — don’t use the link in the text — to see if there’s a problem with or recall on anything you’ve ordered.
Did you get a call or text about a suspicious purchase on Amazon? It’s a scam
The FTC explains how a fake "suspicious charge" call or text grows into a bigger story. The caller may claim your identity was used for fraud, and the scam ends with you emptying your accounts. It says to log in to Amazon yourself and never call back the number that contacted you.
A new and complicated scam starts with a call or text message about a suspicious charge on your Amazon account. But it’s not really Amazon. It’s a scammer with an elaborate story about fraud using your identity that ends with you draining your bank or retirement accounts.
4 more quotes from this source
Scammers spoof their phone number to make it look like it’s Amazon calling. Don’t trust the number in your caller ID and don’t trust what the caller tells you.
Worried about a suspicious purchase on Amazon? Log in through the website or app. Don’t call back the number that called you or a number someone left in a voicemail or text message.
If there’s a problem with your account or identity, always talk about it with someone you trust — especially if the stranger on the phone says it’s serious or involves a crime or claims to be from the government. That’s a scam.
Do not transfer money or drain your savings to protect it from fraud.