You get a text message about an item that you ordered on Amazon that was recently recalled due to quality and safety concerns. The text message gives an order number, suggests that you stop using the product immediately, and click the url in the message to give your details for a full refund. It then apologizes for the inconvenience and thanks you for shopping with Amazon.

You click the link and it asks for details, such as your banking information. It may ask for your Amazon login as well.

Well, needless to say, the order doesn’t exist, and the scammer now has information that you should never have given.

How to protect yourself
When there are recalls, Amazon does not need you to contact them. They just issue the refund automatically with you not having to do anything. Amazon staff do not need you to give your bank details, your login information, or anything else. They have all the information they need in their system.

If you are unsure, check for the order number in question in your orders - though it’s unlikely that you’ll find it. On the off chance that you do, reach out to Amazon via the chat function about the issue. (Heck, feel free to reach out to Amazon even if you can’t find it.)

Also, sometimes the scammers tip their hand by sending the text to multiple people - obviously multiple people shouldn’t have the same order! If you’re getting a message about “your” order that went to multiple people, that’s a sure sign of a scam. Block the sender and ignore.