As the festive season brings millions of shoppers online, it also creates opportunities for scammers to target unsuspecting shoppers. To help customers shop with confidence, Amazon India has partnered with the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) to launch Scam-Free September. The initiative, backed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, aims to educate shoppers about the rising threat of online scams and provide practical safety measures as fraudsters increasingly target customers during peak shopping periods.
“Festivals should fill your home with joy, not anxiety. If anything you receive makes your heart race like – ‘act now;’ ‘pay a fee;’ ‘confirm a strange purchase’ – treat that as a red flag, not a reason to click. Log in to the Amazon app or website to verify what’s real, lean on our protections, and report anything suspicious so we can help stop it for you and for others,” says Ashwini Samraj, Director, Public Relations & Communications, Amazon India.
How scammers target festive shoppers
Scammers typically operate outside legitimate marketplaces, approaching potential victims through email, text messages, or phone calls. Of all the scams impersonating Amazon reported by customers globally in 2023, two-thirds involved fake “order” or “account” issues. [SB1] Criminals impersonate a popular brand or a service provider to create a false sense of urgency to trick shoppers into sharing sensitive information or making bogus payments.
- Scammers may claim your account is “suspended,” an “order” needs verification, or you must confirm a “payment” immediately.
- The goal: push you into clicking harmful links, sharing credentials, or making payments outside Amazon.
A simple checklist to protect yourself
To stay safe while shopping online this festive season, Amazon recommends these verification steps:
1. Pause and verify– Take ten seconds before clicking any link or responding
2. Check 'Your Orders'– Open the Amazon app or website directly to verify any claimed issues
3. Remember Amazon will never:
- Ask for payment via phone or email
- Pressure you to buy gift cards
- Ask you to install software for support
How to ensure a safe shopping experience
- Use strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication on important accounts.
- Verify website authenticity: Before entering any credentials or payment details, check the URL (is it really the domain you intended?), look for https and the lock icon, and beware of typo-squatting (e.g., “amazo.co”).
- Avoid public Wi-Fi for transactions: Open networks make it easier for attackers to eavesdrop or reroute you to spoofed pages.
- Verify sellers and reviews: Read beyond star ratings; scan recent reviews and product Q&As for specifics that match your needs.
- Use secure payment methods: Pay inside the Amazon app or website only. Avoid direct bank transfers initiated from unsolicited prompts and never share OTPs or 2FA codes with anyone.
- Be wary of pop-ups and redirects: If a page keeps bouncing, close it and re-navigate from your bookmarks or a fresh search. Check the address bar before entering information, every time.
- Stay informed and report: If you see something, say something. Use Amazon’s self-service tool to report suspicious activities; non-customers can email reportascam@amazon.com. Forward phishing emails to stop-spoofing@amazon.com, each report helps Amazon identify patterns and take down bad infrastructure. You can also contact the government helpline 1930.
Behind-the-scenes protection
Amazon has been investing in security measures to protect customers, including secure email capabilities that display the Amazon smile logo in major inbox providers, public-education partnerships, and dedicated investigators and Machine Learning experts working to protect shoppers at scale. The result for you: a smoother, safer path from “add to cart” to “arrived”. In 2024 alone, Amazon initiated takedowns of tens of thousands of phishing websites and thousands of phone numbers tied to impersonation schemes.
Shop with confidence
When you shop on Amazon.in, you're protected by Amazon's A-to-Z Guarantee. Amazon stands behind every purchase. If something goes wrong with delivery timing or condition, Amazon will make it right.
The safest path is also the simplest: Start and finish your journey on the Amazon app or website. For more information, visit Amazon's Protect & Connect microsite, which offers interactive quizzes and plain-language explanations of common scam tactics.
