Amazon issues Christmas scam warning to ALL UK customers - ‘Do not ignore this’

Amazon has warned customers they could be scammed in the eight days as cyber thieves target people doing their Christmas shopping online.

With just a week to go until the festive holiday begins, the US shopping giant has issued an urgent warning highlighting the risks users may face.

According to Amazon, there are a number of tactics currently being used by hackers in a bid to steal personal data including user names, passwords and even bank details.

One of the most common scams customers have come across uses correspondence that pretends to have come from Amazon with shoppers receiving a message that suggests they have ordered a product, but "confirmation is needed" before it can be shipped.

Scammers may try to convince customers to supply payment or bank account information or even install software to complete the order. Amazon says anyone receiving messages regarding an order they weren't expecting, should verify orders by logging into their Amazon account.

It added that only legitimate purchases will appear in the order history and Customer Service is available 24/7 to assist.

Hackers tend to be active during the festive period.
Dominic Lipinski

Dharmesh Mehta, Amazon’s vice president of Selling Partner Services said: "We want to help consumers avoid impersonation scams this holiday season.

"These happen when a scammer pretends to be a trusted company and reaches out to try to get access to sensitive information like social security numbers, bank information, or Amazon account details."

He added: "Fake order confirmations accounted for more than 50 per cent of the Amazon impersonation scams reported by our customers.

“These unsolicited communications often refer to a purchase that you didn’t make and ask you to act urgently to confirm the purchase.

"When you try to cancel the fake order by clicking a link or calling the supposed 'customer service' number, scammers then try to steal your personal or financial information.

“We invest significant resources to protect consumers and stores from these scammers.

“Scammers who attempt to impersonate Amazon put consumers at risk.

“Although these scams take place outside our store, we will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on how to avoid scams.”

Among fake orders, scammers have also set up fake websites that claim to provide technical support for Amazon services.

Customers who mistakenly find themselves on these pages are then lured into contacting the scammer and become victim to having their personal data stolen.

Any users having issues with their Amazon account can visit the help section on its website.

Amazon stressed customers should only ever access services via official channels such as the iPhone and Android app or the Amazon.co.uk website.

Scammers may also try to create a sense of panic, so Amazon is asking customers to be wary any time someone tries to push for urgency and to report any suspicious activity.

Other tips include never paying over the phone for products as Amazon will never ask users to provide payment information for goods over the phone.