An email or call says a pricey order just went through on your Amazon account — a phone, a laptop, a gift card — and if you did not place it, call this number right away to cancel. The panic is the point. There is no order, and the “cancellation” call leads to a refund and remote-access con. Our GetMyPassword team explains how to recognize a fake Amazon order scam.
How the scam works
You receive an “order confirmation” or “suspicious charge” alert styled to look like Amazon, for an expensive item you never bought. It urges you to call a number or click a link to cancel or dispute the charge. On the call, a fake “representative” offers a refund but says they need to verify your identity, install remote-access software, or confirm your card and bank details. From there they drain your account, “accidentally” over-refund you and demand the difference back, or harvest your login. The order never existed; the alarm exists only to get you on the phone.
Red flags to watch for
- An order or charge you do not recognize, designed to make you react fast.
- A phone number or link to “cancel” rather than a prompt to check your account.
- A request to install remote-access software to “process your refund.”
- A demand for card, bank, or login details to verify the cancellation.
- An “over-refund” you are asked to repay by gift card, wire, or transfer.
How to verify a real order
Never use the number or link in the message. To check whether an order is real, go directly to your account in the official app or by typing the address yourself, and review your order history and your card statement. Amazon shows your real orders there; if the charge is not in your account, the alert is fake. Genuine support never asks you to install remote-access tools, never needs your password, and never refunds you by having you buy gift cards. Those requests define the scam, no matter how official the call sounds.
A real order is in your account; a fake one is only in the email. When an “order alert” wants you to call and install software for a refund, the order is bait and the phone call is the trap.
How to protect yourself
Do not call numbers or click links in unexpected order alerts; verify through the official app and your bank statement. Never install remote-access software or share your password or codes with a caller, and never repay an “over-refund” with gift cards. If you gave access or details, disconnect, run a security scan, contact your bank, and change your password. Protect your account with two-factor authentication and a unique password from our password generator.
Frequently asked questions
Is an unexpected Amazon order email a scam?
Often, yes. An alert for an expensive order you never placed, urging you to call a number or click a link to cancel, is a common scam. Do not use it — check your real order history and card statement to confirm whether any order exists.
Why do they want me to install software?
Remote-access software lets the scammer control your device to drain accounts or fake a refund. Genuine support never needs to install it or have you buy gift cards for a refund. Any such request is the scam revealing itself.
What if I already called or gave access?
Disconnect, uninstall any software they had you add, run a security scan, and contact your bank to watch for fraud. Change your Amazon and email passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and report the scam.