Multiple Amazon customers on Reddit and Twitter have said that they received a suspicious email from the e-commerce giant that confirmed a gift card purchase that they didn’t buy. The news was reported earlier by CNBC.
“My wife received three emails from amazon regarding recently purchased Amazon gift cards,” a Reddit user posted. “All three for different services. Google Play, Hotels.com, and Mastercard. We logged in to her Amazon account (didn’t click any links) and there is nothing in her purchase history. Also nothing on her Amazon credit card.”
The phony email also contained a paragraph warning users about the dangers of gift card scams. Another Reddit user said they’d spoken to an Amazon customer service representative who said “they were poorly worded emails intended to warn customers about potential scams” and “not in relation to any actual purchases made.”
“An error in our email system resulted in an order confirmation email being sent to customers who did not purchase a gift card,” an Amazon spokesperson confirmed via email. “We have fixed this error, so it won’t happen again and are emailing these customers to inform them of the error and apologize for the inconvenience.”
The emails may have been a result of an error and included a misguided attempt to warn customers about scams, but the threat of phishing scams is real. Those emails, which are sent by scammers in a bid to prompt users to respond with personal information, is growing problem, and this incident is a reminder to be vigilant and scrutinize every email that hits your inbox.
You’ve likely seen a phishing email or text. These scams often want you to click a link to make a payment, offer free stuff or claim there’s a problem with one of your accounts or payment information. The FCC has tips for spotting these ploys and protecting yourself, but phishing isn’t the only weapon in a scammer’s arsenal. For example, vishing is a type of phishing that happens over a voice call.