Amazon customers urged to look out for product recall scam

Amazon customers have been warned about a product recall scam that has been targeting UK buyers. Consumer watchdog Which? explained that customers have been receiving suspicious scam text messages claiming to be from Amazon, warning them about a supposed product recall.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned about this scam last year, which has now appeared in Britain in recent weeks. Which? examined a version of the scam message and found that the link directs users to a live copycat Amazon website, posing a risk to anyone who may have clicked on it.

Which? explained that the scam message is sent from a UK mobile number and claims that a product a customer has purchased is being recalled over safety concerns. The watchdog warned that the phone number is “likely to have been spoofed”.

The scam message tells the customer to stop using the product and provides a link to click to request a full refund. In its investigation, Which? also looked at the link provided in the message, which leads to a copycat website using details of Amazon’s branding and official login page to dupe customers. 

Which? said: “The website asked for your Amazon login details, such as your email or phone number, and enabled you to create a new account if you’re new to Amazon. Once the scammers have these details, they can use them to scam you at a later date.

“The website was only registered last week. Which? reported the scam website to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

“We also shared the dodgy link with Amazon, which confirmed that the website was fake.”

Amazon told Which?: “There are a variety of scams that ask people to make payments by email, phone, or text for items or services.

“Be wary any time someone tries to convince you that you must act now – scammers may try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they’re asking, and they use convincing tactics to reel consumers in.

“We encourage consumers to report suspected scams to us so that we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep them safe.”

The experts at Which? urged the public to treat emails and text messages claiming to be from Amazon with caution. Customers should log into their account via the official website and clarify information that way. 

You can report scam messages to Amazon by sending them as an attachment to reportascam@amazon.com. To guard your Amazon account and details further, it’s advised to change your password on your account immediately and ensure you have two-factor authentication set up.