Six Ways To Spot Amazon Scam Emails

You can spot Amazon scam emails if you realize the sender’s email address is not from the official Amazon domain, the message contains a generic greeting and your email service provider warns you that the message may be dangerous. According to data collected by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 34,000 reports were made in 2023 about scammers impersonating Amazon, resulting in approximately $19 million in losses. As the holiday season approaches, scammers will take advantage of how often people shop online, so it’s important to know when an Amazon email may be a scam.

Continue reading to learn what happens if you fall for an Amazon scam email, how to identify them and common scams you could fall victim to.

What happens if you fall for an Amazon scam email?

If you fall for an Amazon scam email, any of the following could happen:

• You could lose money by clicking on a spoofed website, which appears almost identical to Amazon’s official website. A scammer could steal your money if you enter your credit card information on the spoofed website.
• Your Amazon account could be hacked if you fall victim to an Amazon phishing scam by inputting your login credentials on a spoofed website. By logging in to your Amazon account on a spoofed website, you will be compromising your account.
• Malware could be installed on your device if you click on any links or attachments within an unsolicited Amazon email. Scammers embed malicious websites in fake Amazon emails to trick you into clicking, which could launch a malware infection and steal your data.

6 ways to identify Amazon scam emails

Here are six ways to tell if an email you receive is an Amazon scam.

1. The sender’s address is not from the amazon.com domain

Official emails from Amazon will come from email addresses ending with “@amazon.com,” so any emails that don’t come from that domain are most likely scams. When you check the sender’s email address, you have to look very closely because scammers create email addresses that appear almost identical to an official domain, sometimes differing by just one letter. For example, you may receive an email from someone “@amazom.com” and quickly assume it’s correct. Click on the sender’s name to evaluate their email address and ensure it is sent from an “@amazon.com” domain.

2. The email includes a generic greeting

Another way to spot an Amazon scam email is to read the beginning of the message. If an email starts with a generic greeting, such as “Greetings from Amazon” or “Dear customer,” it could mean the email was created by a scammer. Official Amazon emails begin with a personalized greeting, such as “Hi [your name]” or “Dear [your name],” because they use the name associated with your Amazon account to craft their messages.

3. Your email service provider displays a warning

Most email service providers display a warning if they detect that any message is spam or scam. Once the message reaches your inbox, your email service provider should be able to tell that it is a scam and will warn you. These warnings typically contain a way for you to report the message or mark the message as safe if you think your email service provider’s assumptions are wrong. However, if your email service provider has provided you with this kind of warning, it is best not to interact with the email because it is likely a scam.

4. The email contains spelling and grammatical errors

Since legitimate companies undergo an extensive review process for emails sent to customers, you can tell if you receive an Amazon scam email by spotting spelling or grammatical errors. However, with cybercriminals using AI, this may not always be the case. Be cautious when interacting with suspicious emails and check for additional signs of fraud, such as discrepancies in the sender’s email address or the greeting style.

5. The email contains a sense of urgency

Scammers write phishing emails designed to convince you there is an emergency or a need to act quickly. In Amazon scam emails, you may notice urgent language claiming that you must click a link or send personal information before your account is deactivated. By causing panic, scammers rely on you to take action without thinking about whether the message is legitimate. Avoid any Amazon email that demands urgent action, as it is most likely a scam.

6. The email doesn’t look professional

Amazon emails are formatted consistently and professionally. If you receive an email from someone claiming to be Amazon but it contains low-resolution images or strange formatting, the message is most likely not from Amazon. Scammers sometimes create logos that look slightly different from official company logos, so take a close look at the Amazon logo in the email to determine if the message is a scam.

Common Amazon scam emails to look out for

There are many types of common Amazon scam emails that you should look out for, including messages claiming your account will be suspended, containing a fake invoice or asking you to complete a survey to win a prize.

Your Amazon account is going to be suspended

Most Amazon scam emails warn you that your account will be locked or suspended until you verify your identity, typically by clicking a link within the message. You may receive an email from someone claiming to be with Amazon’s customer support team stating that your billing information needs to be updated. If you click on a link in this scam email, a spoofed website will open, and any information you enter will be sent to the scammer rather than updating your Amazon account.

Fake Amazon invoices

After you purchase an item from Amazon, you receive an immediate confirmation email with your order and payment details. That’s why a fake Amazon invoice can be difficult to differentiate from a legitimate email. This scam email may include your name and the correct item you purchased; however, if you click on anything in the email, including the return policy information, you could allow the scammer to steal your information. When reading this kind of email, look for the Amazon logo. If you don’t see the logo and the email is not from an address ending in “@amazon.com,” it is most likely a scam.

Your Prime membership can’t be renewed

Scammers target Amazon Prime users by claiming that the payment method on file is no longer valid, which means an Amazon Prime membership can’t be renewed. If you believe this message and click a link to enter your payment information, you would be sending your credit card number directly to a scammer. These types of Amazon scam emails usually become more common around Prime Days or holidays when scammers expect more people to shop on Amazon.

Fake Amazon gift card

Who doesn’t love free money? If you receive an email from Amazon claiming that you’ve won a free Amazon gift card, be skeptical and avoid interacting with the message. Scammers often use the promise of a free gift card as an incentive to trick you into sharing personal information, such as your home address or payment information. Remember, when an email offers something that seems too good to be true, it usually is a scam.

Complete a survey to win a prize

You may receive an email claiming to be from Amazon that asks you to complete a survey to win a prize. Scammers want you to fill out the survey quickly so they can steal your personal information while you’re still excited about the prize. After submitting your information, you will realize there is no prize, and you’ve given your information to scammers who can use it to commit fraud. If the email contains language rushing you to complete the survey or offers a very high-value prize, it is probably a scam.

Stay protected against Amazon phishing emails

Despite Amazon scam emails growing more common, there are still steps you can take to protect your Amazon account and privacy from phishing emails. Here are several tips for keeping your Amazon account safe:

• Secure your Amazon account with a strong password, consisting of at least 16 characters and a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols
• Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on your Amazon account for an additional layer of security
• Use a passkey as a way to simplify the login process on your Amazon account
• Be cautious of emails claiming to be from Amazon and look for indicators of phishing attempts
• Rely on a password manager to determine if you’re visiting Amazon’s official website since most password managers will autofill login credentials if the URL matches which URL is saved in your vault

Once you update your Amazon account’s password, enable MFA and create a passkey, you need somewhere safe to keep your private information. Keeper Password Manager can create, update and store passwords, MFA and passkeys.

Start your free 30-day trial of Keeper Password Manager today to protect your Amazon account and other online accounts from scammers.