Amazon issues urgent warning to all Prime users over hack stealing accounts: Delete these emails NOW
Amazon is alerting its 200 million Prime members to a sharp rise in cyber scams just weeks before its biggest-ever Prime Day event, set to begin July 8.
The online retail giant says fraudsters are ramping up efforts to steal customer accounts and payment details.
Amazon found that impersonation scams spiked by 80 percent during Prime Day in 2024, and similar schemes are already underway this year.
The most common tactics involve fake emails and text messages designed to look like official Amazon communications, often containing malicious links or requests for personal information.
Cybercriminals are seizing on the hype and urgency surrounding the four-day sales event to lure unsuspecting shoppers. With global sales expected to break records,
Shoppers are urged to be cautious, avoid clicking suspicious links, and report any suspicious messages to Amazon.
'Independent sellers sold more than 200 million items during Prime Day,' Amazon said in a statement.
'Prime members in the US chose to consolidate their deliveries on millions of orders, saving an estimated 10 million trips.'
This year's Prime Day event will run in 26 countries, including the US, UK, India, and Canada. Ireland and Colombia are joining the list for the first time.
To counter these attacks, Amazon said it removed more than 55,000 phishing websites and 12,000 fraudulent phone numbers last year.
Scammers rely on urgency and fear, often warning users their account will be locked or charged unless they act immediately.
Victims are frequently asked to verify account details or resolve fake issues by providing gift card numbers, passwords, or one-time passcodes, methods Amazon states it never uses.
In November, the company found that 94 percent of global impersonation scams came through email, text messages, or phone calls.
Two-thirds of those scams focused on fake account issues.
To verify if a text message is truly from Amazon, go to the Message Center under 'Your Account.' Only legitimate communications from Amazon will appear there.
Moreover, before clicking on email attachments, review the sender's address.
Legitimate Amazon emails will come from an '@amazon.com' address.
Check the 'From' name in your email to see the full sender address and check for misspellings or suspicious characters.
In March, the company tweeted on X that impersonation scams on social media have jumped 33 percent since December 2024.
'Scammers monitor customer complaints on comments, then respond using fake accounts,' Amazon said.
The company emphasizes it never asks customers to click external links or move conversations to private messages.
While earlier fraud attempts focused on account access, by May 2025, payment fraud had become the most reported scam, accounting for 38 percent of cases.
Amazon reminds users: 'We will never call or email you requesting sensitive information like passwords.'
The company has issued clear safety steps: Always access your account through the official app or website, never respond to suspicious messages, and report scam attempts through Amazon's help center or self-reporting tool.
Additionally, Amazon encourages customers to enable two-factor authentication, avoid reusing passwords across websites, and turn on app notifications to confirm legitimate account activity.
'Count to ten before you act,' Amazon advises, stressing that any message pushing urgent action is a red flag.
In March, Amazon also warned about 'Membership Renewal Scams,' messages prompting users to renew services by entering payment details on fake websites.
To avoid delivery scams, Amazon recommends buying directly from the company instead of third-party sellers whenever possible.
Items shipped and sold by Amazon are more likely to qualify for fast Prime shipping, arrive as advertised, and offer easier returns.
Some customers report receiving refunds for defective items without needing to return them, due to Amazon's streamlined internal process.
To verify a product is sold by Amazon, look for 'Ships from and sold by Amazon.com' under the price or beneath the 'Add to Cart' and 'Buy Now' buttons.
On the Amazon app, this information appears directly below those same buttons.
'As deals drop, consumers may also drop their guards,' an Amazon spokesperson said.
'Stay vigilant, trust only verified sources, and think twice before clicking that link or answering that call.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
16 minutes ago
- The Independent
As Musk's 'robotaxi' rollout approaches, Democratic lawmakers in Texas try to throw up a roadblock
A group of Democratic lawmakers in Texas is asking Elon Musk to delay the planned rollout of driverless 'robotaxis' in the state this weekend to assure that the vehicles are safe. In a letter, seven state legislators asked Tesla to wait until September when a new law takes effect that will require several checks before autonomous vehicles can be deployed without a human in the driver's seat. Tesla is slated to begin testing a dozen of what it calls robotaxis for paying customers on Sunday in a limited area of Austin, Texas. 'We are formally requesting that Tesla delay autonomous robotaxi operations until the new law takes effect on September 1, 2025,' the letter from Wednesday, June 18, reads. 'We believe this is in the best interest of both public safety and building public trust in Tesla's operations.' It's not clear if the letter will have much impact. Republicans have been a dominant majority in the Texas Legislature for more than 20 years. State lawmakers and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott have generally embraced Musk and the jobs and investment he has brought to Texas, from his SpaceX rocket program on the coast, to his Tesla factory in Austin. The company, which is headquartered in Austin, did not responded immediately to a request for comment from The Associated Press. The law will require companies to secure approval from the state motor vehicles department to operate autonomous cars with passengers. That approval, in turn, would depend on sufficient proof that the cars won't pose a high risk to others if the self-driving system breaks down, among other reassurances. Companies would also have to file detailed plans for how first responders should handle the cars if there is a problem, such as an accident. The letter asked Tesla to assure the legislators it has met all the requirements of the law even if it decides to go ahead with the test run this weekend. The letter was earlier reported by Reuters. Musk has made the robotaxi program a priority at Tesla and a failure would likely be highly damaging to the company's stock, which has already tumbled 20% this year. Musk's political views and his affiliation with the Trump administration have drastically reduced sales of Tesla, particularly in Europe, where Musk's endorsement of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party in February's election drew broad condemnation. Tesla shares bottomed out in March and have rebounded somewhat in recent months. Much of the rise reflects optimism that robotaxis will not only be deployed without a hitch, but that the service will quickly expand to other cities and eventually dominate the self-driving cab business. Rival Waymo is already picking up passengers in Austin and several other cities, and recently boasted of surpassing 10 million paid rides. In afternoon trading Friday, Tesla shares were largely unchanged at $320. ________ AP reporter Jim Vertuno contributed from Austin.
The Independent
18 minutes ago
- The Independent
Man who sent racist social media message to footballer banned from all games
A man who sent a 'vile and disgusting' racist message to a professional footballer on social media has been banned from attending any matches for three years, police said. Harry Dunbar, 20, from Fareham, Hampshire, sent racial slurs via Instagram to Christopher Wreh, following an FA Cup match between Tamworth and Tottenham Hotspur on January 12. When interviewed by police, Dunbar admitted sending the message because he had lost a bet, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said. Police said Wreh had come on as a substitute for Tamworth in the game. When he later checked his Instagram, he found he had received a message from an account he did not know called 'Dunztagram'. Shocked, he posted a screenshot of the message including the username and then shared it on his social media. 'After an amazing day today, this is the last thing I expected to see when I opened Instagram,' he wrote in the post. 'Nevertheless, thank you for all the support today. Fans were unreal.' This post was viewed more than 1.7 million times, and Wreh was contacted and sent personal messages by others who identified the account holder as Dunbar, who was living in Hampshire at the time. Wreh shared this with the dedicated football officer (DFO) for Tamworth at Staffordshire Police, who then passed this on to the UK Football Policing Unit and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary's dedicated Football Unit. Dunbar, in Whiteley, was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated malicious communications and his phone was seized. Although the Instagram account had been removed, it was identified that he was the owner of the 'Dunztagram' account'. In interview he then admitted sending the message because he had lost a bet. Dunbar was sentenced at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, where he was handed a three-year football banning order, a 12-month community order of 200 hours unpaid work, and 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days. Superintendent Adrian Hall, head of the operations unit for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, said: 'Just because Christopher Wreh was a footballer, Dunbar decided he had the right to send him a tirade of racist insults. 'Nobody should ever be subjected to such vile and disgusting abuse, regardless of what they do for a living. 'I am absolutely appalled by the racist language used by Dunbar, but immensely thankful to Christopher Wreh for his bravery in standing up to this horrible abuse and assisting the police investigation. 'Thanks to Christopher, this man will not have the privilege of going to football matches and that is an important result from this case, as racism doesn't belong in football stadiums or anywhere else in society.' The Football Banning Order means Dunbar, of John Bunyan Close, is banned from every football ground in the country and unable to travel abroad when international games are happening for a period of three years.
Times
20 minutes ago
- Times
Insolvencies rise as firms face tariffs and higher costs
The number of businesses becoming insolvent rose sharply last month as companies faced higher staff costs and continuing uncertainty over trading arrangements with the United States. Business insolvencies in England and Wales rose 15 per cent to 2,238 in May compared with the same month a year ago, according to data from the Insolvency Service. The figures showed that the number of creditors' voluntary liquidations, through which a director chooses to close down the business, rose by 13 per cent to 1,734, while the number of company administrations, which usually involve larger enterprises, was up by 12 per cent to 136. Businesses started paying higher national insurance contributions for employees in April and also faced an increase in the national minimum wage. The corporate environment has also been hit by uncertainty over tariffs, although Britain has now signed a trade deal with the US. Tom Russell, president of R3, the UK's insolvency and restructuring trade body, said the uncertainty over trade costs had made 'medium and long-term planning more difficult' for companies. Mark Ford, partner in the restructuring team at S&W, the professional services firm, said: 'The impact of sluggish economic growth, high borrowing costs, low consumer confidence and high inflation in recent years has eroded cash reserves for businesses and left some in a perilous position. 'Businesses are now facing newer challenges that threaten their viability and this means we are likely to continue to see a steady stream of company insolvencies in the coming months. 'Higher costs resulting from increases to employer national insurance contributions, the minimum wage and business rates are all heaping considerable pressure on businesses, particularly those that feel they are unable to increase prices for fear of losing customers.' Kathleen Garrett, partner at Reed Smith, the law firm, said the Bank of England's decision to hold interest rates on Thursday showed that while borrowing costs were falling, they were facing 'a much more gradual descent than many would have hoped'. She added: 'Businesses are facing a raft of challenges which have caused insolvencies to start rising again. The headwinds from additional business costs such as the recent increases to national insurance and a fraught geopolitical environment in terms of tariffs and unrest appear to have had an effect on business.'
