AMAZON users have been warned to be on the lookout for a scam email that claims to be from the online retailer.
Security experts at Avanan say the scam is convincing and it is easy to be fooled as the email looks official.
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The scam begins with an unsuspecting user receiving an email claiming that an order has been received and payment confirmed from the account holder.
The email even contains a link that takes the victim straight to Amazon’s website.
Scammers are said to make sure the invoice is for a costly item which will raise concern for the person who received it.
The scam email though also contains a telephone number that customers can call if they have any issues with the items they have been billed for.
The phone number though is not connected with Amazon and is used by the cyber thieves to exploit their victims.
Anyone calling the fake number though will not instantly speak to someone, according to Avanan.
However, the call will be returned some hours later with the fraudsters then asking for the caller’s full card details in order to prevent the order from going through.
The thieves then use the card details to steal money from the account.
Avanan said regarding the scam: “As holiday shopping begins earlier this year due to supply chain issues, many are beginning to stock up, especially from Amazon.
“For hackers, it’s an opportunity to spoof purchase notifications in order to obtain financial information.
“This attack works by using legitimate Amazon links, forcing the end-user to make a phone call instead to cancel any order.
“In this email, the hackers convincingly spoof a typical Amazon order confirmation notice. All links go directly to Amazon’s site.
“This means that even the most trained user will click on it. What would set off alarm bells is the actual email address, which comes from a Gmail address. “
The security experts say the best thing to do if you receive an email from Amazon that does not look right is to delete it immediately.
Amazon does give advice about scams on its website.
It says it will never ask for personal information to be supplied by email.
Amazon also says will never request to update payment information that is not linked to an Amazon order you placed or an Amazon service you subscribed to.
The Sun has contacted Amazon for comment.
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