For many shoppers, whether they're searching for on-trend fashion finds, travel must-haves or a new gadget, Amazon is usually the first stop. And with so many top brands and a seemingly endless selection of products, if you head to the site looking for a specific product, it's pretty rare that you'll come up short.
But with so many customers depending on the retail site for everything from daily purchases to major splurges, scammers are taking advantage by targeting Amazon shoppers. While scams tend to spike around major shopping holidays, such as Prime Day or Cyber Monday, they can happen year-round.
Here, we're sharing everything you need to know about common scams as well as spotting counterfeit items, so you can ensure that you're shopping safely this season.
How to spot Amazon imposter scams | What to do if you suspect an Amazon scam | What is Amazon doing about counterfeits? | How to avoid scams when shopping on Amazon | Top brands available on Amazon | How we chose | Meet the expert
How to spot Amazon imposter scams
When it comes to Amazon imposter scams, the most common means of communication tend to be through email or text, though calls are an area for concern as well. "Last month, fully half of our customers that told us about scams where they did have some kind of loss, were from phone [calls]," Scott Knapp, Amazon’s worldwide director of buyer risk prevention tells Shop TODAY. Here are some things that can signal to you that a message is a scam.
- False urgency: Messages that lead you to believe you need to take immediate action are one thing to look out for, Knapp shares. (Examples include suspicious activity that requires an instant response or a problem with your payment that needs to be remedied ASAP.)
- Asking for personal information: "We will never ask you for your password, we will never ask you to make a payment or a bank transfer via phone, email or clicking on a link," explains Knapp.
- Typos or grammatical errors: Look out for misspelled words in messages.
- Unrecognizable links: Links that look suspicious or that lead to sites other than Amazon should be an immediate red flag. Before clicking anything, check your Amazon account to verify if an issue has been alerted there.
What to do if you suspect an Amazon scam
If you get a suspicious call or text telling you something about your order or your account, there's an easy way to double-check: "Go to the source," Knapp says. He continues, "You're always safe on Amazon.com. If you think somebody is trying to impersonate us, go to the website or the app — however you interact with Amazon — and check it out. We have a message center there, if we're trying to get in touch with you, the message will be there."
Similarly, if the message says there's been a problem with your order, you will see that on your orders page on the app or website.
If you receive anything suspicious and have an Amazon account, you can report potential scams here. If you don't have an account, you can email reportascam@amazon.com.
What is Amazon doing about counterfeits?
Counterfeit items are another concern for shoppers. In 2019, a Wall Street Journal investigation found that Amazon had "thousands of banned, unsafe or mislabeled products" on its site. And brands have spoken out on the issue. Birkenstock previously stopped selling its products on Amazon after counterfeits surged. While testifying during a House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee, the CEO of PopSockets shared that fake products on the site harmed the brand.
"On Amazon, we have no tolerance for counterfeits or fakes," Knapp says. "So if we find them, we shut it down immediately, we go after whoever may have put it out there."
Amazon has a whole team, the Counterfeit Crimes Unit, dedicated to this issue. If you suspect an item on the site may be counterfeit, you can report it to them.
In 2023, Amazon says that it "identified, seized, and appropriately disposed of more than 7 million counterfeit products worldwide." The company also stopped more than 700,000 "bad-actor attempts" to create new seller accounts.
How to avoid scams when shopping on Amazon
Still, things can slip through the cracks. So if you are worried about falling victim to a phony brand or product on Amazon, here are some things to keep in mind.
One good way to ensure that a product is actually from a brand that you love is to shop directly from the brand's storefront. Apple, Teva and other brands (both large and small) that are enrolled in Amazon's Brand Registry have these. If you are looking at a product, right above or below the product name it will say "visit the [insert brand name] store," which, when you click, will take you directly to the brand's storefront.
Amazon also has a large number of third-party sellers — in fact, these businesses make up a majority of the company's sales. And while most of these sellers and products are legitimate and safe, there are some higher risk categories, which include food and drinks, cosmetics, electronics and anything for kids, NBC News senior consumer investigative correspondent Vicky Nguyen previously reported. In these cases, you may want to stick with items that are shipped and sold by Amazon. (You can find this information on a product page, right under the "Add to Cart" button.)
In general, when you're shopping on a retail site and buying a specific product, especially one from a third-party seller, you want look through the photos and reviews to make sure that nothing looks suspicious.
According to Melanie McGovern, director of public relations and social media for the Better Business Bureau, when looking at reviews, you want to look at how old they are — if they are all recent, that may be a red flag — or if they are all positive that can also be a potential tip-off that something may be amiss.
Additionally, if it's a hot item that is sold out everywhere else but is being sold by a third-party company, you may want to stop and think, "How come this company has it, and others don't," she shares.
You can also comb through the reviews for the brand and look for the same factors to ensure that it's well-established and highly-rated. Another thing to keep an eye out for? "Look for a return policy. If you have to dig and dig for one, that can be a red flag," McGovern says.
If you struggle to find any of the necessary information, like shipping time or a return policy, reach out to the brand. "If the retailer is legitimate, if they are reputable and you reach out and ask those questions, they’re going to answer them for you," McGovern adds.
Also, be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. "We have great deals at Amazon, but if something appears too good to be true, it might actually be too good to be true," Knapp says.
One thing to note is that if you do buy something from a third-party seller that turns out to be not as expected, you will likely be covered under Amazon’s “A-to-Z Guarantee.” You can use this to get a refund if your package doesn’t arrive in a timely manner or the item is damaged or not as described (you can read all of the conditions here).
Now that you're ready to get shopping (safely), we're highlighting some of your favorite brands that you can shop directly on Amazon.
Top brands available on Amazon
CeraVe
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream Combo Pack
If your skin is often feeling dry, now is the perfect time to stock up on this CeraVe cream set. The moisturizing cream is great for sensitive skin and can be used all over your body and face. This pack even comes with the hydrating cleanser that promises to hydrate as it cleanses.
CeraVe Hydrating Skin Care Set
Elevate the essentials in your skin care routine with these simple, hydrating products from CeraVe. Both the moisturizing cream and the facial cleanser are best for normal to dry skin types, and they also include essential ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
CeraVe Vitamin C Serum and Night Cream Skin Care Set
You can wake up feeling refreshed each day once you add the skin-renewing vitamin C serum and skin-renewing night cream into your routine. Overnight, the duo can help reduce the look of fine lines while brightening your under eye complexion.
Stanley
Stanley Adventure Big Grip Beer Stein
Stanley has more than just water bottles! Try out this 24 oz. beer stein with vacuum insulated double walls that Stanley promises will keep drinks hot for an hour and cold for up to five hours.
Stanley AeroLight Transit Bottle
If you need to make sure your hot cup of coffee stays hot all morning (and your iced tea stays cool all afternoon), this Stanley water bottle can help. The brand promises this product can keep liquids hot for four hours and cold for six hours, so you don't ever have to worry about taking a disappointing sip.
Levi's
Levi’s Women’s Classic Straight Jean
For 30% off, you can buy these straight-leg jeans from Levi’s. They’re made with breathable cotton denim (with a tiny bit of elastane for stretch), and they’re offered in a wide array of colors.
Levi’s Women’s Ribcage Straight Ankle Jean
A pair of Levi's jeans are a wardrobe essential, and these straight-cut, high-waisted ankle jeans are perfectly on trend. Containing cotton, polyester and elastance, these jeans are going to stretch a little and keep you comfortable all day.
New Balance
New Balance Women’s 608 V5 Cross Trainer
These award-winning New Balance sneakers offer all-day support and comfort with their foam insoles, rubber soles and leather exteriors. Offered in three separate colors, these shoes are the perfect choice for a casual walk or a day of errands.
New Balance Women's Fresh Foam Arishi V4 Running Shoe
If you're looking for a new running shoe, its your lucky day! These shoes, which are nearly 20% off, offer a foam midsole for cushion, mesh upper for ventilation and slip resistant outsoles for traction.
Apple
Apple AirPods (3rd Generation)
Now is a great time to invest in some wireless Apple AirPods that can provide you up to 30 hours of music, shows and movies when used with the earbuds charging case. The earbuds are also sweat-proof and waterproof, so you can take them on runs and walks.
Apple Watch SE (2nd Generation)
An Apple Watch is a great way to keep you on track with your health and productivity goals, like data on your heart rate and how many steps you are getting daily. You can also easily pair it to your other Apple products to stay connected all the time.
Apple iPad (10th Generation)
This generation of iPad is reimagined and more versatile than ever, with high performance and storage. Whether you want to use the iPad for writing your notes with the Apple pencil or to watch new shows on your favorite streaming platform, an iPad is a great choice.
How we chose
Along with providing tips for shopping safely on Amazon, we wanted to provide some examples of brands that sell directly on Amazon. We chose these specific brands and products, because we thought they would be of interest to our readers. All of the brands included have Amazon storefronts and the products are all shipped and sold by Amazon.
Meet the expert
- Scott Knapp is a worldwide director of buyer risk prevention at Amazon.
- Melanie McGovern is the director of public relations and social media for the Better Business Bureau. The non-profit is dedicated to helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. The company's Scam Tracker is a free tool that people can use to report and search for suspected scams.
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