Warning to anyone who gets a call ‘from Amazon’ over threat to account

Fraudsters are using a cunning tactic to get access to your account details

Amazon customers have been urged to remain vigilant for a scam which specialists describe as especially credible. Consumer experts have cautioned that fraudsters are deploying this tactic to obtain access to individuals’ accounts.

Product testing organisation Which? has raised the alert regarding a scam where criminals telephone customers, frequently using fake numbers, pretending to be Amazon staff. They tell you there’s been unusual activity on your account.

The fraudsters then state that Amazon will send you a text containing a passcode to share with them. The scam is particularly cunning as you actually receive an authentic passcode text from Amazon, though it’s activated by the criminal trying to access your account. Lisa Webb, a consumer law specialist at Which?, explained: “Criminals will use passcode scams to target any Amazon user whose details have been obtained by hackers, possibly from a data breach or a previous scam attempt.

“Fraudsters use your phone number to attempt to log in to your Amazon account, triggering genuine one-time passcode messages from Amazon to throw people off the scent.”

She cautioned that becoming a victim of the scam is remarkably straightforward.

Ms Webb stated: “Anyone can be caught off guard at the wrong moment, especially if they’re under stress or distracted.”

The legal specialist encouraged people to take steps if they believe they’ve been targeted. She explained: “If you think your account has been compromised, the first thing you should do is log in to Amazon and change your password via its official website or app – it’s a good idea to then activate multi-factor authentication if you haven’t already. Consumers should bear in mind that passcode scams are not unique to Amazon: scammers also used a variation of these tactics to target O2 customers.”

Once crooks get into your account, they can access your personal information and cash in any gift cards or credit you’ve got with the firm. Those with seller accounts face additional risks, as criminals might set up fake listings or meddle with reviews, which could harm your standing.

Your account might even face suspension as a consequence.

The pilfered information can also be used by the fraudsters for additional cons. In a statement provided to Which?, Amazon said: “Scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put consumers at risk and we will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on scam avoidance.

“We encourage consumers to report suspected scams to us so that we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep consumers safe. We may ask you to verify your identity if you call customer service for support, but Amazon will never contact you first to ask you for your password, verification passcodes or security question.”