Amazon and PayPal are among the most impersonated brands in the UK, simply because almost everyone has an account with at least one of them. Fraudsters exploit this familiarity to send fake order confirmations, account suspension warnings and refund notices designed to steal login details and payment information.
You receive an email or text claiming there's a problem with a recent "order" — often for an expensive item you never bought, like a laptop or phone. The message creates urgency ("cancel now or you'll be charged") and includes a link or phone number to "resolve" the issue.
The panic caused by an unexpected large charge is the entire point — it pushes people to click without checking the sender domain first.
Similar tactics are used with fake PayPal emails claiming your account has been "limited" due to suspicious activity, or that you've received a payment that needs to be "confirmed" before it clears. Both versions link to a fake PayPal login page designed to steal your credentials.
Increasingly, these scams are combined with a phone call from someone claiming to be from Amazon or PayPal fraud prevention, who already has some of your details from a previous data breach — making the call sound credible even though it's entirely fabricated.
Never click links in the email or text. Instead, open the Amazon or PayPal app directly, or type the address manually into your browser, and check your order history or account activity there. If nothing matches what the message claimed, it's a scam.
1. Don't click any links — close the message immediately.
2. Check your real account — log in directly via the app or by typing the URL yourself.
3. If you entered details, change your password — immediately, and enable two-factor authentication.
4. Contact your bank — if you entered payment details, call your bank's fraud line right away.
5. Report it — forward phishing emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and report fake texts by forwarding to 7726.
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