Amazon customers receive so-called phishing emails at regular intervals. Right now, such a serious message could end up in your inbox.
Dortmund – If there is a message in your inbox titled “Amazon Account Security,” consumers should be especially careful. Especially if it contains a link that says “Log in and request code,” there is a good chance the email is a phishing scam.
Current Amazon Warning: Customers must now protect themselves from account suspension
Using this email, scammers reveal themselves relatively quickly. An “impersonal salutation, incorrect sender address, and pretext” are signs of a phishing email. According to the Consumer Advice Centre, it is recommended to “always move this type of message to your spam folder without responding to it.”
In Amazon's message, scammers are once again trying to attack customer accounts. In the name of the online mail-order retailer, cybercriminals have already sent a fraudulent message to several consumers who have reported it to consumer advocates.
Amazon's current warning: Scammers can fish for personal information
The current warning (April 17) from the Consumer Advice Center states that those affected should under no circumstances follow the request in the letter. The “unusual login activity” discussed in the email is just an excuse. In this way, scammers encourage their victims to click on the associated button.
Clicking on the link should ensure the security of the account. This should initially lead to the Amazon website. After logging in, you will be asked to request a password reset code. In no case is it recommended to follow this procedure. Customers are likely to end up on a hacked page that resembles Amazon's design.
Cybercriminals can obtain the personal data you enter there. Using the intercepted username and password, they could prevent Amazon customers from accessing their own accounts. It is possible that fraudsters change this data so that those affected cannot access it.
Current Amazon Warning: Check the link in the phishing email
To avoid falling for a potential scam, Amazon states the following on its Help and Customer Service page: “Check links in an email. Never click a link, open an attachment, or respond to an email that is considered fraudulent.
If you want to be on the safe side, you can check the links. A legitimate Amazon website starts with the URL “https://www.amazon.de” for consumers from Germany. Email recipients do not have to click the associated button. The Consumer Advice Center recommends a simple trick to avoid this.
You can hover your mouse over the link, which will open a window displaying the destination URL at the bottom left of the screen.
