Amazon Raises Cybersecurity Alert for 300 Million Shoppers Ahead of Black Friday

As cybersecurity researchers report a dramatic increase in phoney holiday shopping domains that resemble prominent shops, Amazon has issued a Black Friday security notice alerting customers to be on guard for impersonation scams and phishing efforts aimed at collecting account logins and financial credentials.

The giant of online shopping said in an email to consumers this week that scammers are stepping up their attempts to fool users into divulging financial or personal information or Amazon account data by impersonating Amazon support, delivery services, or discount advertising. The warning is issued because the Black Friday season lasts for several weeks, which gives con artists more time to take advantage of bargain-hunting consumers.

Modus Operandi

According to Amazon, typical scams include outreach through unofficial methods requesting passwords or payment details, social media advertisements promoting discounts that seem too good to be true, and phoney messages stating there is a delivery or account issue. The business emphasised that it never asks clients to provide critical information via third-party links or to confirm their account information in emails.

According to security companies, the timing is deliberate. More than 18,000 holiday-themed domains with phrases like 'Black Friday', 'Christmas', and 'flash sale' were registered in the last three months, according to a recent holiday danger assessment. It was determined that hundreds of such websites were malicious. The study also noted an increase in domains that mimic well-known retail companies, such as Amazon, frequently employing minute spelling adjustments that are simple for consumers to overlook when they are moving swiftly.

The warning that seasonal shopping traffic is a great target for fraudsters is further supported by other researchers who have documented a similar increase in brand impersonation domains referencing Amazon and other major marketplaces.

Key Tools of Scammers to Frame Customers

Many frauds, according to experts, rely on distraction and rush. Customers may be directed to a lookalike page that harvests credentials after receiving a text or email asking them to resolve a delivery issue, reset their password, or confirm a payment. Others are tricked by deep-discount advertisements on social media sites that lead to fictitious stores intended to collect credit card information.

The increasing usage of artificial intelligence, according to researchers, is increasing the credibility of spoof merchant websites, phoney order confirmations, and even phoney customer support letters. For buying, customer support, delivery tracking, and refunds, Amazon advised users to only use its official app or website. Additionally, it suggested adopting passkeys, which enable sign-ins using device biometrics rather than passwords, and, when practical, turning on two-factor authentication.

Customers were cautioned by the company that it will never ask for financial information over the phone, including wire transfers or gift cards, and that it will never send unsolicited messages requesting login credentials. A straightforward guideline added by cybersecurity experts for Black Friday browsing is to slow down long enough to verify the entire URL and refrain from clicking on unknown sites. It's often said that taking a few additional seconds is the best defence in a season that is centred around speed and scarcity.