Criminals are impersonating Amazon and contacting customers out of the blue claiming suspicious activity has occurred on their account, new data shows.
Over a nine day period, between 5-14 October 2026, criminals stole £86,837 from victims, a daily average of over £9,600 while purporting to be representatives from Amazon.
We are urging the public about an emerging trend of Amazon impersonation after it was identified in reports made to the service. Within the nine day period, Report Fraud received 110 reports where Amazon impersonation had been identified, with people aged between 50 to 79 most impacted, accounting for 60 per cent of reports.
Analysis of Report Fraud data identified an emerging trend in reporting which involves a victim being contacted by the criminal claiming to be from Amazon who informs them of alleged suspicious activity on their Amazon account.
The criminals then claim that unauthorised items have been added to the victim’s Amazon basket. To make the fraud appear genuine, they provide delivery addresses that do not belong to the victim and claim that someone is attempting to purchase the items using the victim’s bank details.
The criminal then tells the victim that the transactions can be stopped and their account secured, but only if they follow specific instructions including:
- Victims asked to share their screen through messaging platforms as part of a resolution process and download money transfer apps. Criminals then use these apps to move money into accounts they control.
- Victims told to provide legitimate documents, such as a passport or driving licence, for “verification” purposes. Criminals use this information to facilitate the fraud and transfer money.
- Victims persuaded to download remote access software, allowing criminals to take control of the device and carry out transactions on the victim’s behalf to steal funds without their knowledge.
- Victims are told that gift cards have been added to their Amazon basket without permission. Criminals then claim urgent action is needed to stop the purchases and trick victims into authorising payments, which are instead sent to accounts under the criminals’ control.
How to protect yourself?
Remember that genuine service providers, banks and the police will never call asking you to transfer money, share personal financial details or hand over remote control of your computer, phone or other device.
If you’ve received a call that doesn’t feel right, STOP!
- Hang up.
- Check if it’s genuine: contact the organisation directly using contact details you know are correct, such as those on an official website or app, or by calling 159 if you need to contact your bank.
- Don’t trust the Caller ID display on your phone – it’s not proof of ID.
- Report it by sending a text to 7726 with the word ‘Call’ followed by the scam caller’s number.
If you believe you are a victim of fraud, you should tell Report Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040. If you live in Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101.
Amazon’s resources & tips.
Please see our latest Trustworthy Shopping Experience Blog post, which we also emailed to our customers earlier this year, in addition to 6 tips to help you spot and avoid scams impersonating Amazon.
