As an avid Amazon shopper, you use the site to conveniently purchase everything from everyday essentials to special splurges. But that trust in the ecommerce giant may come crashing down the first time you see a strange charge on your credit card from an Amazon purchase you didn‘t make. Even the savviest shoppers can fall victim to credit card fraud on Amazon, given the site‘s prominence as a target for scammers.
In fact, a study by fraud prevention firm Signifyd found that Amazon was the most popular site for fraudsters to test stolen credit cards, with 27% of known fraud attacks targeting the retailer. The vast global reach and product selection of Amazon makes it easy for scammers to quickly max out a stolen card, often reselling the fraudulently obtained goods for cash.
So what should you do if you find an unauthorized Amazon charge on your credit card? Take a deep breath and follow this step-by-step guide to report the fraud, secure your account, and get your money back.
Verify the Charge Isn‘t Legitimate
Sometimes panic sets in the moment you see an unrecognized charge on your credit card statement. But before assuming fraud, look closer at the transaction details to make sure it‘s not a case of forgetfulness or confusion. Ask yourself:
- Did I actually make this purchase and just forget?
- Did a family member or friend with access to my Amazon account or credit card make the purchase?
- Is the item from a third-party seller with an unfamiliar company name?
- Is the charge actually a recurring subscription fee I forgot about, like Amazon Prime or Subscribe & Save?
Once you rule out those possibilities, check your Amazon order history. See any purchases you definitely didn‘t make? Now you can be confident you‘re dealing with fraud.
Report the Fraud to Amazon
As soon as you confirm an unauthorized purchase from your Amazon account, contact Amazon‘s customer service to report the incident. The sooner you notify Amazon, the better chance you have of the fraudulent order being canceled before it ships out.
Go directly to Amazon‘s website and click on "Returns & Orders" to see if the unauthorized item is still awaiting shipping. If so, look for a "cancel items" button to stop the order from going through. Next, click the "Customer Service" link at the bottom of the page and select the "Something Else" option. Choose the "I want to report fraudulent activity on my account" option, then follow the on-screen prompts to speak to a customer service representative via phone or live chat.
When you get in touch with an Amazon rep, clearly explain that you found an unauthorized purchase made from your account and charged to your credit card. Provide the order number, the item purchased, and the date of the transaction.
Here‘s the good news – Amazon is known for its generous customer service policies, and that extends to fraud protection. Thanks to the A-to-Z Guarantee, you won‘t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made from your account. Amazon will immediately refund the full amount of the fraudulent purchase to your original payment method, usually within 2-3 business days.
However, there are some limitations to the guarantee. It doesn‘t cover purchases not made directly from Amazon, like transactions on other Amazon-owned sites such as Audible.com or purchases made with Amazon Pay on third-party sites. And you typically need to report the fraud within 60 days of the charge being made.
Contact Your Credit Card Issuer
Resolving the fraudulent charge with Amazon is just the first step. To fully protect your finances, you‘ll also need to loop in your credit card issuer. Call the number on the back of your card and ask to speak to the fraud department.
Explain you‘ve identified an unauthorized charge from Amazon on your card and have already reported it to the retailer. The card company will open a fraud investigation and collect some additional details from you, like:
- The date and amount of the fraudulent transaction
- The last legitimate purchase you made with the card
- Any other suspicious charges on your statement
You may be asked to fill out an affidavit attesting to the fraud, which can usually be done online. The card issuer will then initiate a chargeback to reverse the fraudulent charge, although this process can take up to 30 days to complete. Most major credit card companies won‘t hold you liable for fraudulent charges as long as you report them immediately.
The card company will also immediately cancel your current credit card number and issue you a replacement card with a new number. When you receive the new card, make sure to update your payment information on Amazon and any other sites where you stored your old card details.
How to Prevent Amazon Fraud
While you can‘t completely eliminate the risk of credit card fraud on Amazon, you can take proactive measures to make your account less vulnerable to attack:
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Enable two-factor authentication. Amazon offers two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your account login. Instead of just entering a password, you‘ll also need to enter a unique code sent to your phone or generated by an authenticator app. This makes it much harder for fraudsters to access your account even if they have your password.
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Use a strong, unique password. Avoid using easily guessed passwords like "123456" or ones that include personal information like your birthdate. Instead, use a long, random string of characters, numbers and symbols. And don‘t reuse passwords across multiple sites – data breaches of other sites where you used the same password could give fraudsters access.
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Monitor your account for suspicious activity. Regularly check your Amazon account for signs of unauthorized use, such as unfamiliar orders, changed passwords or new addresses. Consider signing up for email or text alerts for new orders.
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Use a credit card instead of debit. Credit cards generally offer more robust fraud protections than debit cards, limiting your liability for unauthorized charges to $50. With debit cards, your liability jumps to $500 if you don‘t report fraud within 2 days.
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Be selective with Amazon wishlists. Setting your Amazon wishlist to public means anyone can see what you‘ve saved, which can make you a target for fraudsters. Keep wishlists private and only share them with trusted contacts.
Use these security features and due diligence to help keep your Amazon account safe from scammers looking to exploit the mega-retailer‘s popularity.
The Bottom Line
Finding out a scammer used your credit card on Amazon is stressful, but you can rest assured knowing Amazon and your card issuer have your back. By identifying and reporting the fraud quickly, you minimize your financial liability and prevent further unauthorized use of your card.
While Amazon can‘t tell you exactly who committed the fraud due to privacy concerns, the company‘s A-to-Z Guarantee means you won‘t have to pay for any unauthorized charges. The refund process is straightforward and handled promptly by Amazon‘s customer service team.
Your credit card company will work in tandem with Amazon to refund the charges, issue you a new card, and monitor your account for signs of further fraud. But don‘t rely solely on their efforts to keep your Amazon account secure. Take advantage of security measures like two-factor authentication and strong passwords to thwart would-be fraudsters.
Remember, even the biggest and most trusted online retailers like Amazon aren‘t immune to credit card fraud. But by staying vigilant and taking swift action if your card is compromised, you can continue to enjoy the convenience of Amazon with peace of mind. The key is being proactive in monitoring your account and knowing what steps to take if you spot an unauthorized charge.
| Prevalence of Credit Card Fraud on Amazon |
|---|
| 27% of fraud attacks target Amazon |
| $640 million in credit card fraud losses on Amazon in 2021 |
| 1 in 3 online shoppers experience credit card fraud |
| Reported Amazon fraud up 37% year over year |
Sources: Signifyd ecommerce fraud report, Amazon SEC filings, Internet Crime Complaint Center, CyberSource Global Fraud Survey
As both Amazon‘s sales and credit card use continue to climb, scammers find ever more sophisticated ways to exploit the marketplace. While the vast majority of the hundreds of millions of daily Amazon transactions are legitimate, the sheer scale makes the retailer an attractive target for fraudsters.
Cybersecurity experts predict credit card fraud, specifically on Amazon, will only continue to rise in frequency, enabled by data breaches and scammers‘ ability to quickly monetize stolen cards. As Sift Director of Solutions Kevin Lee explains:
"Fraudsters go where they can find the largest returns with the least amount of effort. Amazon is the largest online retailer and offers a marketplace for third-party sellers to host their storefronts, which is very appealing to a scammer looking to offload goods purchased with stolen credit cards. The more payment methods and identities that touch a site like Amazon, the larger the surface area for fraudsters to exploit."
But Amazon certainly isn‘t the only place your credit card can be compromised – popular scams like skimmers on gas pumps and malware on e-commerce sites means a stolen card number could be used fraudulently anywhere, any time. Since the U.S. began adopting EMV chip cards in 2015, online "card not present" fraud has exploded as scammers find it harder to counterfeit physical credit cards.
| The Shifting Landscape of Credit Card Fraud |
|---|
| Online credit card fraud up 23% since 2015 |
| 48% of credit card fraud now happens online |
| Ecommerce sites are 81% more likely to experience fraud than brick-and-mortar retailers |
| Card not present fraud projected to hit $19.3 billion by 2022 |
Sources: Gemini Advisory, 2021 Identity Fraud Study, Juniper Research
The key to avoiding being a part of these eye-popping fraud statistics is a combination of preventative measures and decisive action if you do find an unauthorized charge. While Amazon has a robust fraud detection system that flags potentially suspicious transactions, shoppers can‘t rely solely on the retailer to spot and stop all credit card fraud.
Instead, make it a habit to check your credit card statements regularly for unfamiliar charges, whether from Amazon or elsewhere. The Fair Credit Billing Act gives consumers up to 60 days to report unauthorized credit card charges to avoid liability, so checking at least once a month is advisable. Many card issuers also offer transaction alerts to notify you of unusually large or out-of-pattern charges in real-time.
If you do find yourself dealing with credit card fraud on Amazon, know that you have a ally in the company‘s customer service team. Amazon prides itself on prioritizing customers over profits, and that commitment shows in their generous fraud protection policies.
As long as you report the unauthorized charge promptly, Amazon will refund you in full and help you secure your account from future fraud attempts. The company may even offer a courtesy credit or extended Prime membership to apologize for the hassle.
Falling victim to credit card fraud may shake your trust in Amazon and online shopping as a whole. But by taking advantage of the security tools available and being proactive about monitoring your account, you can enjoy the incredible convenience Amazon‘s vast marketplace provides while keeping your financial information safe from scammers.
