Amazon warns shoppers about Cyber Monday scam... and shares tips on how to avoid it

Amazon has warned its more than 300 million active customers about a massive impersonation scam sweeping through Cyber Monday and the rest of the holiday shopping season.

The scheme relies on fake notifications, fraudulent websites and malicious links designed to trick shoppers into handing over personal information, including bank details and Amazon login credentials.

The e-commerce giant issued the alert in a mass email, warning that cybercriminals are 'targeting Amazon users by reaching out to try and get access to sensitive information like personal or financial information, or Amazon account details.'

According to the notice, first reported by Forbes, scammers are increasingly posing as Amazon employees in an attempt to steal customer data.

Amazon said shoppers are being hit with a surge of bogus delivery and account alerts, deceptive social media ads promoting deals that seem too good to be true, and unsolicited messages pushing users to hand over payment or login information.

Andrew Witts, tech expert at Blackpool-based SEO agency Studio 36 Digital, said: 'Scammers know this is the busiest time of year for retailers, so they double down.

The warnings come as FortiGuard Labs, a threat research company, recently found more than 700 malicious holiday-themed domains have been registered in the last three months, many using keywords such as 'Christmas,' 'Black Friday,' and 'Flash Sale.'

Amazon urged shoppers to be wary of slick-looking ads from unknown sellers circulating on social media, warning that many of them are designed to mimic real Amazon deals but link to fake storefronts. 

Witts said the scammers behind these ads often slash prices to unbelievable levels to lure victims, noting that genuine Amazon discounts will always appear only on the company's official website or app, Insider Media reported.

He added that customers should immediately distrust any message that asks for passwords or payment details outside Amazon's secure channels. 

Amazon 'will never ask you to verify your account credentials via an email link,' Witts said, adding that such requests are a clear sign of a phishing attempt. 

Fake alerts about delivery problems and account issues are also being used to push shoppers toward malicious websites.

Unsolicited phone calls are another tactic on the rise, Witts warned.

Many victims believe they are speaking to Amazon or tech support, but the callers are scammers attempting to extract sensitive information. 

And the threats are not limited to off-platform impersonation, as Witts said shoppers should also be cautious while browsing Amazon itself, as fake listings and manipulated ratings are becoming harder to spot.

Thanks to advanced AI tools, scammers can now generate large volumes of convincing fake reviews in minutes, flooding new products with glowing five-star feedback. 

Witts advised shoppers to be skeptical of items that appear overnight with hundreds of overly positive, vague reviews, calling them 'meaningless fillers posted by bots.' Review-checker tools can help flag suspicious patterns, he added, even if they aren't perfect.

While fake ads and reviews typically aim to sell low-quality goods, or nothing at all, the more dangerous scam attempts are the ones seeking access to bank details or full Amazon account credentials. 

Witts said the scams have grown 'increasingly sophisticated,' with coordinated layers that include emails, texts, bogus websites, and even follow-up phone calls meant to legitimize the fraud. 

What begins as a promising holiday bargain, he said, can quickly escalate into identity theft or a drained bank account.

Witts noted that one in four shoppers has encountered an online ad impersonating a major brand, a figure he says should make consumers 'pause before clicking anything that looks slightly off.' 

Still, he called Amazon's decision to warn every customer a positive move, adding that vigilance is essential.

 'Scammers are getting smarter and much more believable,' he said. 'A bit of extra caution can mean the difference between a gift arriving on time and having your Christmas savings wiped out.'