Amazon Scam Emails: How to Spot a Fake Amazon Email (UK)

Scammers are sending fake Amazon emails to UK customers—here's exactly how to tell them apart from the real thing.

By Alex Bacsa · Published 2026-04-21 · Updated 2026-06-26 · 6 min read

What a fake Amazon email looks like

An Amazon email scam is a phishing message that imitates Amazon so you click a link and hand over your login, card details, or a one-time code. An example of the style is an email from a display name like Amazon with a subject such as Your order has been placed - action required or Your account has been locked, and a button such as Verify your account.

The pretext changes - a high-value order you did not place, a refund waiting, a failed payment, or a Prime renewal - but the goal is the same: rush you onto a fake Amazon sign-in page. The link often points to a lookalike such as amazon-account-verify.example.

Why these Amazon emails fool people

Amazon's own scam-prevention material says order-issue and account-issue impersonation scams are common themes. Phishing emails can copy Amazon's logo, layout, and language, and the visible sender name can be set to something misleading. Amazon also warns that attackers create fake websites and emails that impersonate brands such as Amazon.

None of that means the email is genuine. The safe rule is to avoid entering passwords, payment details, or one-time codes on a page reached from an email. Check the order, refund, or account issue by opening the Amazon app or typing amazon.co.uk into your browser yourself.

Signs an Amazon email is phishing

• It starts with a generic greeting such as Dear Customer, especially when the rest of the email asks you to act urgently.
• The sender address is not a genuine Amazon domain, or the link points to an unfamiliar site.
• It pushes you to verify, reactivate, cancel, or confirm your account through a button or link.
• It asks for your password, full card number, bank details, or a one-time code on a page reached from the email.
• It asks for payment by gift card, bank transfer, crypto, or another method outside Amazon checkout.
• It includes an unexpected attachment or invoice.
• It claims there is an order you cannot find when you sign in directly.
• Spelling or layout errors can be clues, but a polished email can still be phishing.

How the Amazon email scam works

First, an email lands that looks like an Amazon alert about an order, refund, account lock, or payment problem. Second, it pushes you to click a button to fix or verify something. Third, the link opens a fake Amazon sign-in page. Fourth, anything you type - email, password, card details, or a one-time code - is captured by the criminals.

Those details can be used to take over the account, place orders, attempt card fraud, or target you again. Checking inside your real Amazon account, rather than through the email, breaks the chain before you enter details.

How to check if an Amazon email is genuine

Do not click links or open attachments in the email.

• Open the Amazon app or type amazon.co.uk into your browser yourself.
• Check Your Orders, account alerts, payment settings, and in-account messages.
• If the email mentions an order, payment problem, refund, or account lock, confirm it only after signing in directly.

If you cannot verify the message after signing in directly, treat it as suspicious. Hovering over links can provide clues, but links and sender names can be disguised, so do not rely on that alone. If you are unsure whether a linked site is a copycat, our guide on Is This Website a Scam? A Practical Checklist Before You Buy walks through the checks.

If you clicked or shared details

If you entered your Amazon password, sign in through the Amazon app or by typing amazon.co.uk yourself, change the password, turn on two-step verification, and review orders, payment methods, addresses, and account settings for anything you do not recognise. Change the same password anywhere else you reused it.

If you entered card details, contact your bank or card issuer immediately using the number on the back of your card. Tell them it was a scam, ask them to stop the card if needed, and ask about disputing the transaction. A card payment may be recoverable through chargeback, depending on the circumstances and card scheme rules.

If you sent money by UK bank transfer on or after 7 October 2024, mandatory APP fraud reimbursement rules may apply to Faster Payments and CHAPS transfers. The PSR rules include a 13-month claim window, a maximum claim amount of £85,000, possible exclusions, and a possible excess of up to £100. Report the scam to your bank as soon as possible and keep evidence.

If you shared personal details, consider Cifas Protective Registration at cifas.org.uk and monitor your credit reports with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Amazon scammers also call people by phone - see our Amazon Scam Phone Calls UK: How to Spot a Fake Amazon Call guide.

How to report a fake Amazon email (UK)

Forward suspicious emails to the NCSC at report@phishing.gov.uk. The NCSC can investigate and take down phishing sites. You can also report suspicious Amazon communications to Amazon at reportascam@amazon.com; Amazon says sending the suspicious communication as an attachment is the best way for it to track the report.

If the same scam reached you by text, forward that text to 7726. If you lost money, shared sensitive information, or were hacked, report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 if you are in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. In Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101.

Frequently asked questions

Reporting routes in this guide are checked against our verified canon of official UK sources — Action Fraud, the National Cyber Security Centre, and Citizens Advice — by an automated accuracy gate before publication. Fact-checked and updated by Alex Bacsa, Founder & Editor, on 2026-06-26. Read about how Beat the Scam writes guides.