Fake Amazon Order Notification Tricks Victims into Calling Fake Customer Support Line
Cybercriminals are sending scam emails targeting Amazon customers. In this Amazon scam, the attackers send potential victims a fake Amazon order confirmation that uses Amazon branding to trick the recipient into responding.
The fraudulent Amazon order confirmation lists an item that was supposedly purchased by the recipient. The purchase amount has a high dollar value in order to grab attention and cause anxiety. The reader is directed to call a supposed Amazon related phone number listed in the fraudulent email for any concerns about their (fake) order.
This large purchase total is intended to trigger the recipient into acting without scrutinizing the contents of the email or thinking about the consequences of calling without verifying the phone number.
Of course, the recipient did not place this order, which is completely fabricated by the attackers, so it does indeed cause alarm.
I received one of these Amazon scam emails (below) two days after the one reported in the Abnormal Security report. Although the sender’s email did not match the scammer’s email in the report, the content is the same. The email contains my name and lists a high order amount. In this case, I supposedly bought a camera that costs almost $4000.
During the pandemic, the e-commerce industry has not only seen a dramatic rise in sales, but also in consumer-targeted email attacks. This attack features an impersonation of Amazon, utilizing an increasingly popular vector for malicious engagement: phone calls.
Abnormal Security
Look at the image below – you can see that there are five elements that are telling that this is a fraudulent Amazon order notification:
- The email friendly name lists a customer service address at Amazon. However, it is actually sent from a Gmail account (see the yellow arrows)
- There’s a phone number listed to supposedly contact Amazon
- The dollar amount of the order is fairly high almost $4000
- The order is being shipped to another state
- The Amazon scam email accurately contains my name however the greeting contains someone else’s name
For more help read our guide on How to Spot a Phishing Email
How to spot this Amazon scam
This Amazon scam email is crafted to look like a typical Amazon order confirmation that everyone receives when they buy something. The email design looks familiar so it’s easy to be fooled by this scam.
- The sender’s email address is misspelled. At a glance, it may appear that the email comes from a legitimate Amazon customer support email box, but it does not. The beginning of the email sender’s name is spelled “A-r-m” with the letter “r” inserted – so it reads as “Arnazon” not “Amazon.” The email scam that I received was different and the one detailed by Abnormal Security.
- The phone number listed in the body of the email is not an official Amazon customer support phone number.
- Links in the body of the email send the victim to “consumerlivesupport.com” if the reader clicks on them.
Amazon Email Scam – How to Protect Yourself
- If you think that an Amazon email order confirmation is fraudulent, go to your Amazon account on the web or on the app and check your order history there.
- If you have a problem with an Amazon order log into your own Amazon account and contact the company directly through the contact methods listed on Amazon.com. To contact Amazon, visit their website to contact Amazon via chat https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/contact-us You can also arrange for Amazon to call you.
- Always scrutinize the email sender’s name and email address before responding or taking any action prompted by the email
- Never click on links or download attachments sent from people that you don’t know.
- Never use the phone numbers or contact information listed in an unsolicited email. If you need to call Amazon (or any company) for customer service, go to their official website and look up the phone numbers there
Note: Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
A quick check on my Amazon.com account showed that there was no mistake. I had not ordered a $4000 camera from Amazon that was shipped to Texas. So, I reported this Amazon scam email as spam. An antivirus app also helps to detect scams, spoofed websites, and phishing email attacks.
