Scamazon Exposed: Prime Subscribers Beware of Phishing Scams!

As someone who regularly uses Amazon and pays £95 annually for Prime, it’s natural to be alarmed by an email alerting you of a price increase on your subscription.

However, this email, which prompts you to click a “cancel” button to avoid the fee, is fraudulent and crafted by scam artists aiming to hijack your login and payment information.

Following a noticeable increase in these fraudulent activities, Amazon has taken proactive measures to alert over 200 million of its Prime users worldwide. The company’s objective is to prevent misuse of its brand and to educate its customers on how to recognize and dodge these impersonation scams.

Identifying the Scam

These counterfeit emails typically inform you that your Amazon Prime subscription will renew automatically at a higher rate than expected (in the UK, the usual rates are £95 annually or £8.99 monthly).

Often, these emails might include bits of personal information sourced elsewhere to seem more credible. They also frequently feature a “cancel subscription” link that leads to a phony Amazon login page.

This method is just one of several tactics targeting Amazon users. Earlier in the year, Amazon highlighted a significant rise in phone scams in the UK and noted that scammers have been using fake profiles to engage with customer complaints on social media.

The Intent of These Messages

These messages press you to act swiftly to make a payment. Upon clicking through, you will be prompted to enter personal and payment details.

Recommended Actions

Avoid clicking any links in such messages. The primary aim of these scammers is to steal your login credentials and other sensitive information. Instead, you can ignore the email or forward it to amazon.co.uk/reportascam.

As these scams occur outside its platforms, the more they are reported by consumers, the better Amazon can become at identifying and taking action against the perpetrators. In the previous year, Amazon managed to shut down over 55,000 phishing websites and 12,000 phone numbers.

Amazon encourages users to report any suspicious activity, helping them safeguard accounts and pass relevant information to law enforcement.

If you wish to verify your Prime membership status, use the Amazon app or visit Amazon.co.uk directly. Navigate to the “Prime” section in the main menu to see your membership status and details.

To confirm the authenticity of a message, check the “message centre” found under the “your account” tab on Amazon’s site. Genuine communications from Amazon will be listed there.

If you suspect you’ve clicked on a fraudulent link, keep an eye on your bank statements for any unusual charges and contact your bank immediately if you notice unauthorized transactions.

Amazon advises using its apps or directly typing amazon.co.uk into your browser to prevent scams. The company assures it never asks for sensitive information outside its website or apps.

Consider enabling two-step verification for added security, accessible through your account’s “login & security settings” or at amazon.co.uk/2SV. After activation, you will receive a code every time you log in, which you will need to enter along with your password.

Another safeguard is to enable Passkey, which allows you to use your face, fingerprint, or device PIN for logging into your account.