Is that Amazon fraud prevention call a scam?
You receive an automated call or voicemail stating: 'This is Amazon customer service. We have detected an unauthorized purchase of $799 on your account for an iPhone. If you did not authorise this transaction, press 1 or call [number] to speak with a fraud specialist.' This is a scam. Amazon does not proactively call customers about fraud.
When you call back or press the option, a fake 'Amazon fraud specialist' takes over. They may ask for your Amazon login to 'cancel the order' and then say they'll issue a refund. To process the refund, they need remote access to your computer 'to verify the transaction'. Once they have remote access, they show you a fake bank portal and stage an 'accidental overpayment' — then demand gift cards to return the excess.
A variant skips the computer access step entirely: the caller claims they can stop the purchase if you verify your identity by providing your Amazon account details, credit card number, or one-time security code. All roads lead to theft.
🚩 Red flags to watch for
- ▶An unsolicited call or automated message claiming to be from Amazon about fraud.
- ▶A request for your Amazon account password, credit card number, or a one-time SMS code sent to your phone.
- ▶A request to install remote access software (AnyDesk, TeamViewer) to 'process the refund'.
- ▶Any instruction to pay via gift cards to 'return an overpayment'.
- ▶The caller is evasive when you ask for a case number or say you'll contact Amazon through the app.
✅ What to do
- 1Hang up immediately. Amazon does not call customers proactively about fraud — they handle security issues through the account dashboard and email.
- 2Check your real Amazon account by going to amazon.com or the Amazon app. All genuine order alerts, account changes, and security notifications appear in your account's Message Centre.
- 3Never install remote access software at a caller's instruction.
- 4If you gave your Amazon credentials: change your password immediately at amazon.com, review linked payment methods, and check recent order history.
- 5Report the call to Amazon at amazon.com/reportascam and to the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov).
📣 Where to report (by country)
🇺🇸 United States
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Action Fraud
- Police Scotland — call 101
🇦🇺 Australia
🇨🇦 Canada
🌍 Everywhere else
- Contact your local police and your bank immediately
- If money was sent, ask your bank about a recall request — act within hours
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Common questions
Does Amazon ever call its customers?
Amazon occasionally calls customers about specific service issues (like a delivery problem), but never proactively calls about 'detected fraud' or asks you to call a number in a voicemail. If you're unsure, go to amazon.com and use the Help system to initiate contact — never call a number from an unsolicited message.
The caller knew my name and the last four digits of my card. Doesn't that prove it's Amazon?
No. This information is frequently in data breach datasets. Your name, email, and partial card numbers have appeared in numerous large-scale breaches. Scammers use this data to build false credibility — knowing a few facts about you is not proof of identity.