Several Amazon customers on Reddit and Twitter reported receiving suspicious emails from the e-commerce giant confirming gift card purchases they hadn’t made.
One Reddit user shared, “My wife received three emails from Amazon regarding recently purchased Amazon gift cards—for different services like Google Play, Hotels.com, and Mastercard.
We logged into her Amazon account without clicking any links, and there was nothing in her purchase history or on her Amazon credit card.”
These fake emails also included a paragraph warning users about the risks of gift card scams.
Another Reddit user mentioned speaking with an Amazon customer service representative, who explained that the emails were “poorly worded” attempts to alert customers about potential scams and were “not related to any actual purchases made.”
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed the issue, stating via email, “An error in our email system resulted in an order confirmation email being sent to customers who did not purchase a gift card.
We have fixed this error, so it won’t happen again, and we are emailing these customers to inform them of the error and apologize for the inconvenience.”
While these emails may have been the result of a system error and an ill-conceived attempt to warn customers about scams, the risk of phishing scams remains very real.
Phishing emails, which are designed to trick users into providing personal information, are an increasingly common threat. This incident serves as a reminder to remain cautious and carefully examine any unexpected emails that arrive in your inbox.
You may have encountered phishing emails or texts before. These scams often urge you to click a link to make a payment, offer free items, or claim there’s an issue with your account or payment information.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) offers tips for recognizing and protecting yourself from these schemes.
Additionally, scammers use other tactics, such as vishing, a type of phishing conducted over a voice call.
