"Suspicious Amazon purchase": the fake call or text to "cancel" it

"Suspicious Amazon purchase": the fake call or text to "cancel" it

The phone rings and a recorded voice says: "This is Amazon. An order for an iPhone worth £999 has been placed on your account. If you didn't make this purchase, press 1." Or a text: "Amazon: your Prime membership will renew today. To cancel, call this number." Your first instinct is to stop that charge. That's exactly what the scammers are counting on. It's a scam that impersonates Amazon, and its goal is to get your card details, your bank login or access to your device.

How does this scam work?

1. The hook. An automated call, a text or an email about an expensive purchase you don't recognise, a Prime renewal, a "hacked account" or a "refund". The amount is high enough to worry you.
2. The "fraud department". If you press 1 or call the number, a "customer service" or "security" agent answers. They're calm and professional, and they already know your name, sometimes your address.
3. The excuse to get in. To "cancel the order" or "secure the account", they ask for:
   • your card details and the code your bank texts you;
   • your Amazon or online banking password;
   • or for you to install a remote access app (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Assist) "to fix it".
4. The twist. With remote access, they can see your online banking. Sometimes they fake a refund, claim they refunded "too much" and ask you to send the difference back. Other times they tell you to buy gift cards "to protect your account" and read out the codes.
5. The money goes. Card payments, transfers or gift card codes: all hard to recover.

What are the warning signs?

• An unexpected call or text about a purchase or renewal you didn't make.
• "Press 1" or a phone number to call. The real place to check your orders is your account, in the app or on the website.
• They ask for passwords, codes or card details to "cancel" something.
• They ask you to install an app on your computer or phone.
• They want you to pay with gift cards, or to "return" a refund by bank transfer.
• Urgency: "if you don't act now, the order will be dispatched".
• They call from a mobile number or one that doesn't match anything official.

What do I do right now if they call or the text arrives?

1. Hang up or ignore the text. Don't press any keys and don't call the number they give you.
2. Open the Amazon app or website yourself, typing the address in or using the app you already have installed. Go to "Your Orders" and "Your Account": if there's no suspicious purchase there, there isn't one.
3. If you see something odd in your account, contact Amazon through the help section in the app or official website, never through a number from a text or call.
4. Block the number and report it in the spam numbers directory.
5. Forward the text to 7726, free on most networks, as the NCSC explains.

What if I've already given details or installed the app?

1. If you installed a remote access app, disconnect the device from the internet and uninstall the app.
2. Call your bank straight away on 159 or the number on the back of your card. Ask them to block your cards and online banking if necessary and check for payments you don't recognise.
3. Change your passwords from a safe device: Amazon, email and online banking, in that order. Turn on two-step verification. The NCSC explains how to recover a hacked account.
4. If you bought gift cards and gave the codes, contact the gift card issuer immediately through its official channels. It's unlikely, but sometimes funds can be frozen if they haven't been spent yet.
5. Check the device with up-to-date antivirus software, or have a trusted technician look at it.
6. Keep evidence: the number, the time, messages, screenshots and payment receipts.

Where do I report it and who can help me?

• Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) on 0300 123 2040 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or Police Scotland on 101, if you've lost money or given details. You'll get a crime reference number your bank may ask for.
• Amazon lets you report suspicious calls, texts and emails through the help pages of its official website.
• Your phone provider: forward texts to 7726; the NCSC explains how to report scam calls.
• NoCall: report the number in the spam numbers directory.

Frequently asked questions

Does Amazon ever call me about a suspicious purchase? Amazon says it will never ask you to make a payment outside its website or app, ask for remote access to your device, or ask for gift cards as payment. If anything worries you, check it in your account.

I don't have an Amazon account and they called me anyway. Why? Because these calls are made in bulk to random numbers. They're betting that a large share of people do have an account.

I only pressed 1 and hung up. Is that a problem? Not on its own. It may confirm your number is live, so you might get more calls. Block the number and don't give any details if they call back.

I gave them my card details but not the texted code. Am I safe? Not completely. Block the card with your bank anyway: with the details alone they could try payments on sites that don't ask for extra verification.

In short

If a call or a text tells you about an Amazon purchase you don't recognise, don't press anything or call any number: check your account in the official app. Never give codes, passwords or remote access, and never pay with gift cards. If you've already fallen for it, call your bank and change your passwords. And report the number in the NoCall spam numbers directory: your warning could stop someone else from "cancelling" a purchase that never existed.