Warning over fake Amazon emails trying fool people into handing over bank details

A warning has been issued about fraudsters targeting Amazon customers with fake emails.

The scam attempts to fool people into handing over bank account details to criminals.

Action Fraud said it has received over 2,000 reports in one week about fake emails purporting to be from Amazon.

The emails claim that the recipient’s Amazon account has been “locked” and they need to complete an “identity verification” process in order to unlock it.

The links in the emails lead to genuine-looking phishing websites that are designed to steal Amazon login credentials, as well as personal and financial information.

Some scams emails are fairly convincing, they are constantly changing. However, they are all designed to trick the recipient into responding.

That might be by trying to worry the recipient into responding, or to bait them into responding with a tempting offer or reward.

Watch out for FAKE Amazon emails.

Action Fraud have received over 2,000 reports about these e-mails in one week.

Received an email you’re not quite sure about? Forward it to: report@phishing.gov.uk#NWPCyberSafe pic.twitter.com/2hkQZwtASG

— HGC Troseddau Seiber / NWP Cyber Crime (@NWPCyberCrime) February 19, 2022

Look for the warning signs:

• Is the sender known? If not, treat with caution
• Use the methods above to check who the real sender is. Sometimes, the email can appear to come from the recipient’s own email address, definitely a scam attempt
• Is it likely that the sender would make contact in this way?
• Check for spelling and grammatical errors
• Is there a sense of urgency about the email? Is it threatening, is it offering a reward, is there a time limit?
• Never click on links from unknown sources. Use the methods above to check the link details
• If concerned, do not use the link given in emails. A safer way is to come out of the communication, and go to your account though your own browser or via an App
• Stop, take your time, think, don’t panic, ask a trusted friend
• If in any doubt, do not respond

Scam emails can be reported to Action Fraud – Tel. No: 0300 123 2040. If card or bank details have been revealed, then speak to your financial institution immediately.

Your bank, or any other official organisation, won’t ask you to share personal information over email or text. If you need to check that it’s a genuine message, contact them directly. Spotted a suspicious email? Forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) – report@phishing.gov.uk