This is one of the most common scams going around right now — and it is designed to scare you into acting fast before you think. Here is exactly what is happening and what to do about it.
What the email looks like
You get an email that looks like it is from Amazon (or PayPal, Apple, Netflix — take your pick). It says something like:
“Your account has been charged $79.99 for an order. If you did not make this purchase, call us immediately at 1-800-XXX-XXXX.”
It might even show a fake order number, a logo, and professional-looking formatting. It is built to look real.
Here is the truth
That email is fake. It is called a phishing scam. Nobody charged your account. There is no order. The whole point is to get you to either call that phone number or click a link — and the moment you do, they have you.
If you call the number, a scammer pretending to be Amazon will try to get your credit card number, your Social Security number, or access to your computer.
If you click the link, it takes you to a fake website designed to steal your login or your payment information.
Three things to do right now
- Do NOT call the number and do NOT click any links in the email.
- Go directly to Amazon.com by typing it yourself in your browser. Log in and check your real order history. If there is no charge there, there is no charge anywhere.
- Delete the email. You can also mark it as spam so your email filters learn to catch similar ones.
How to spot a fake email like this
- You feel rushed or scared. Real companies do not pressure you to act in minutes.
- The sender’s email address looks off. It might say “Amazon” but the actual address is something like orders@amaz0n-billing.net.
- There is a phone number to call. Amazon does not ask you to call a number from inside an email.
- You did not buy anything. Trust that instinct.
Bottom line: if an email scares you into acting fast, slow down. That is the scam working exactly as designed. Take a breath, go directly to the real website, and check there first.
Still not sure if an email is real? Send it to John at JohnExplainsIt.com and he’ll take a look.