Is That Amazon Message About Your Order or Account Real?

Short answer: check it in the Amazon app, never through the link. Fake Amazon messages jumped sharply around Amazon's October sale, and many look exactly like the real thing.

Why there are so many right now

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days ran on October 6 and 7, 2026, and millions of people are now waiting for deliveries. That is exactly when scammers strike. Security company KnowBe4 recorded a 188% increase in messages pretending to be Amazon from the end of August into September, and researchers at Check Point found more than 1,000 new websites with Amazon-like names in a single month, about 87% of them flagged as malicious or suspicious.

What the fake messages say

KnowBe4 found that fake Amazon messages fall into four main types:

1. Billing, renewal, or login problems (31%). For example, your Prime membership is "suspended" because of a payment problem and you have 48 hours to update your card.
2. A free gift or reward (29%). You have been "selected" for a prize or loyalty reward.
3. A delivery notice (25%). A parcel could not be delivered, or needs you to confirm something.
4. A limited time offer (15%). A deal that expires in minutes.

The biggest campaigns used security alerts such as "Suspicious Activity Detected" to make people panic and click.

How to tell it's fake

1. Check the sender, not just the name. Real Amazon emails come from an address ending in @amazon.com or Amazon's official site for your country.
2. Look at where the link really goes. Fake sites use look-alike addresses, often with extra words or hyphens added to the Amazon name.
3. Watch for pressure. Countdown timers, "account closing" threats, and "failed delivery" claims are there to stop you from thinking.
4. Be suspicious of rewards you didn't expect. Real gifts don't arrive by text with a link.

What to do

1. Don't tap the link or reply.
2. Open the Amazon app yourself, or type your Amazon website address, and check Your Orders and your Message Center. Real messages from Amazon also appear in your Message Center.
3. Turn on two-step verification or a passkey in your Amazon account's Login and security settings, so a stolen password alone can't get in.

If you already clicked or entered details

1. Change your Amazon password straight away in the app, and anywhere else you used the same one.
2. If you entered card details, call your bank or card company using the number on the back of your card.
3. Check your Amazon account for orders, addresses, or payment methods you didn't add.

The rule for every shopping season is the same: the app in your hand is real, the link in your messages might not be.

Sources: KnowBe4: The price of a deal, how scammers are hijacking Amazon Prime Day · Hoodline: Fake Amazon texts and clone sites target shoppers