📦 Amazon Scam Calls and Emails UK — The Complete Guide

Sunday, 02 August 2026

Amazon is the most impersonated brand in UK scams. Criminals send fake emails, texts and phone calls pretending to be Amazon — claiming your Prime subscription is renewing, your account is suspended, or a refund is owed.

This guide covers the main Amazon scams and how to shut them down fast.

The main Amazon scams

Scam How it works
Prime renewal call "Amazon" calls you about a £79.99 Prime renewal — press 1 to cancel. Pressing 1 connects you to scammers who take your card details
Refund scam Caller says you're owed a refund and need to confirm card details or install an app to "receive" it
Account suspended email Fake email: "your account has been suspended — verify your details" → phishing page
Order confirmation text Text about a £499 order you never made → "cancel here" link → card harvesting
Fake invoice Email invoice for something you didn't buy, with a phone number to dispute it
Gift card check Caller asks you to "verify" a gift card number or PIN — they drain it instantly

The Prime renewal call — how it works

This is one of the most common UK phone scams:

  1. You get a call from a number that looks like Amazon (or shows "Amazon" as the caller ID)
  2. "This is Amazon. Your Prime subscription is renewing today at £79.99. Press 1 to cancel."
  3. You press 1 (or say "cancel")
  4. A "representative" takes over and asks for your card details to process the cancellation
  5. They now have your card — and sometimes talk you into "refund verification" apps that give them remote access

⚠️ Amazon never calls you about Prime renewals. Prime renewals happen automatically through your Amazon account — there's nothing to cancel by phone. If you get this call, it's a scam. Hang up.

How to spot a fake Amazon email

  • Sender address — real Amazon emails end in @amazon.co.uk or @amazon.com. Check the actual address, not the display name
  • Urgency — "account will be suspended in 24 hours"
  • Links — hover: they go to lookalike domains (amaz0n, amazon-security, etc.)
  • Requests for payment — Amazon never emails asking for card details or gift cards
  • Attachments — Amazon doesn't send invoices as attachments

What to do

If you get the Prime renewal call:

  1. Hang up — don't press buttons, don't say "yes"
  2. Don't call back the number shown — it's spoofed
  3. Check your actual Prime status in your Amazon account (amazon.co.uk → Account → Prime)

If you get a fake email or text:

  1. Don't click links — go to amazon.co.uk directly and check your account/orders
  2. Report phishing to Amazon at [email protected] (or report in the Amazon app)
  3. Forward texts to 7726 and report to Action Fraud

If you've already given details:

  1. Call your bank's fraud line immediately — cancel the card
  2. Report to Action Fraud — 0300 123 2040 — get a crime reference number
  3. Change your Amazon password and enable 2-step verification (Account → Login & security)
  4. If you installed an app during a "refund" call, uninstall it and run a malware scan — see access device fraud
  5. If you paid by card, you may recover it via chargeback — see how to get your money back after a scam

The rules that keep you safe

  • ❌ Amazon never calls about Prime, refunds, or account issues
  • ❌ Amazon never asks for card details, passwords, or one-time codes by phone/email
  • ❌ Amazon never asks for gift card numbers
  • ✅ Always log in at amazon.co.uk directly to check your account
  • ✅ Use the official Amazon app — real notifications appear there

Report it

  • Action Fraud: 0300 123 2040 / actionfraud.police.uk
  • Amazon: forward phishing emails to [email protected]
  • Texts: forward to 7726
  • Calls: report the number to Action Fraud — even if you hung up, report it

Related guides

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