Amazon Difficulties

[Mogs43]

I received an email from Amazon yesterday thanking me ordering pairs of Apple AirPods Pro, to be shipped to Texas. I hadn’t placed the order and the account has been put on hold. To unblock the account tAmazon say I need to send in a bank statement. To be honest I feel uncomfortable doing this. I don’t think it’s a scam (email address is Amazon.com rather than Amazon.co.Uk) but to be honest I don’t understand how someone has managed to get into my account. They say I must have given out my password. I haven’t and don’t know anyone in the US let alone Texas.

I would just forget about it and never use Amazon again (recently cancelled Prime as delivery in my area isn’t great) but I would quite like to take my bank cards off the account. Also I have an audible account (didn’t realise they were linked). They have blocked that account as well which is annoying. I can’t go in to cancel the monthly membership / they won’t do it over the phone. So my payments will continue to be taken each month.

Just wondered if anyone else had been in the same situation? And the customer service is a nightmare! Simply won’t speak to me unless I send a bank statement! You would think ,given all the scammers, they would have another way of verifying genuine account holders?

Report it to action fraud. You can ring, email or use their chat bot function.

Cancel your cards and report possible fraud to bank as well.

Have you tried logging in to Amazon.co.uk using a web browser (not the app), without using a link from an email?
I wonder if it is a scam.
Are you out of pocket for the AirPods purchase? Because they should refund you for that if it was a real transaction as opposed to a phishing email.
If your auto-pay is setup on a specific card, cancel the card. Then they can't take any further payments at least.
This is a bit of a nightmare because without logging in to Amazon, it would be difficult to communicate with them.

And if you use your Amazon password elsewhere, change it.

I really do think you've been scammed here and that you're possibly not really talking to Amazon.

How have you been communicating with Amazon? Not through a link in the email or replying to it, I hope? You can't use their "contact us" form if the account is suspended as you have to be logged into the site with the same email address you use on the contact us form.

Also, if you try to log into Amazon they make you do 2 step verification if you log in from another country, where they email or text you a code so the scammers wouldn't have been able to get in without that code. So if you are definitely talking to Amazon, there is the grave possibility your email address has been compromised as well.

Thank you for the replies. I have spoken to Action Fraud. They took the details but didn’t really give me directly relevant advice.

I can’t access the Amazon account now as it’s on hold and Amazon won’t unblock it unless I send them a bank statement which I am reluctant to do. Action Fraud seemed to think the emails
were genuine (based on the email addresses) although didn’t commit completely.

When I called Amazon and Audible whilst they wouldn’t go into detail about my account (until I provide bank or credit card statements).they did seem to think the emails were genuine. The contact numbers were online (after a google search).

I called my bank about cancelling my cards but they said nothing has gone out of my accounts so they weren’t sure cancelling them was necessary. I said I’d get back to them.

I don’t understand how an order could be placed from abroad: as a pp has said there is a verification process. Amazon said you can have two accounts: one here and one to access the American store. I didn’t know that but assume they would still need my password etc to get in? Amazon implied I must have given my password details out but I know i haven’t. It’s worrying.

If Amazon can’t protect my account I am reluctant to give them more personal information (my bank statement) but am concerned that I won’t be able to resolve the issue until I do. . Am I being too cautious? WWYD?

Sounds like a scam. Why would Amazon need your statements?
I get emails all the time from very legit looking addresses (with bank logo for example) saying account has been blocked due to unusual activity. I ignore them.
What method of payment was used for the purchase?
The answers from Action Fraud sound vague and I do not believe asking for your statement is proof of anything.
I have an Amazon account and both .com and .co.uk are linked, they are not separate accounts. If you've never ordered from the .com Amazon then it's fraud of some kind.
Not sure what your next step is but I'd be contacting me one at Amazon.

Sounds like a scam to me, Amazon do not ask for personal information. Use the following link for next steps: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=G4YFYCCNUSENA23B

And stop replying to the original email. Become the initiator not the responder

It's far easier to buy on American Amazon now. I can use my UK card and have things shipped to an American address. Previously I used my US debit card and learned I could use a UK card by accident. I have UK and US accounts with the same address and now the payment details are linked in a way they weren't before.

I think someone has got a hold of your account details somehow. I'm not sure how I would go forward re: Amazon. But I think it's time to change your passwords and turn on two factor authentication.

Its a scam - they have sent out a load of emails randomly and hope that some people get so scared they respond

have you sent ANY details to them?

Yes, definitely the same profile and log in for .com and .co.uk. I use both and that is the case.
However I have 2 step verification setup and it sounds like you don't? Normally there's an alert.

I can't see what use your bank statements are to Amazon. They shouldn't know your bank details anyway as payments are processed by card. What are they verifying and again what exactly? If this is some form of ID verification process, ask them for a list of alternative acceptable documentation. It sounds like you have a communication channel with Amazon, possibly by email? I'm amazed they'd communicate by email in a timely manner. Is that an absolutely genuine email address?
Any pending Amazon payments would show as pending on your online banking. If there's nothing showing it means nothing happened (so a scam) or the order has been cancelled by Amazon as a fraudulent order or by the person committing fraud. In the second instance, definitely get a replacement card
This is all very odd.