How Was Someone Able to Access My Amazon Account?

Ruthanne

Caregiver
Location
Midwest
I got an email saying someone signed into my Amazon account. It said if this is not you click here. So I did and denied them further access. They had signed an hour before I caught them. They put 2 things in my cart totalling around 300.00. I deleted those 2 men's items.

One was earbuds and the other was something like a wet suit. I saw they didn't place the order.

I then activated further security measures but don't know how well that will go. I also changed my password.

What I don't understand is how someone knew my name and that I had an account.
 

You might check for any new stored shipping addresses on your account.
1. Since they had things in the cart, they may have specified a shipping address you aren't familiar with.
2. If no new suspicious shipping addresses ... wonder if someone close to you, in the neighborhood perhaps, knows your schedule and knows you get things from Amazon and intended to order something on your account and porch pirate it while you weren't there?
 
You might check for any new stored shipping addresses on your account.
1. Since they had things in the cart, they may have specified a shipping address you aren't familiar with.
2. If no new suspicious shipping addresses ... wonder if someone close to you, in the neighborhood perhaps, knows your schedule and knows you get things from Amazon and intended to order something on your account and porch pirate it while you weren't there?
I was just thinking of shipping addresses and I will order something cheap and look at the addresses there. I only saw a zip code that is somewhere in the area. Thanks for your message.
 
Does anyone you know have access to your phone or computer? Whatever the case, it's good that you took security measures.
No one has access to my phone or computer đź’». I'm thinking of closing my account and opening another one. I get a lot from Amazon and am thinking a delivery person could have targeted my account. I don't know.
 
Maybe contact Amazon customer support for a chat. I know they've recommended some things in email perhaps, but a live chat may evoke other ideas and maybe leave you rest assured of online shopping security. Don't know what they'd say or do over the phone but could be an option for peace of mind maybe.
DISCLAIMER: I've never had to contact Amazon with an issue like this and I've been a member and regularly order stuff since 2007.
 
I then activated further security measures but don't know how well that will go. I also changed my password.

You might want to change any other passwords you have with other online companies. Especially if those passwords are similar.

The first time I signed up to NetFlix several years ago, within 24 hrs someone in New York had logged into it. My password although not the same, was similar to another one I had hacked.
 
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I'm glad you were able to stop the items from being shipped. It's a good idea to institute two factor identification on all your accounts. Even with that, our accounts can sometimes be hacked. Twice my credit card numbers were almost used but thwarted by Bank of America and Chase. A common thing now is to text security codes to your phone (if you have a cell) or to send verification codes to your email address. Without those codes, no one is supposed to be able to access your accounts.
 
I'm glad you were able to stop the items from being shipped. It's a good idea to institute two factor identification on all your accounts. Even with that, our accounts can sometimes be hacked. Twice my credit card numbers were almost used but thwarted by Bank of America and Chase. A common thing now is to text security codes to your phone (if you have a cell) or to send verification codes to your email address. Without those codes, no one is supposed to be able to access your accounts.
Thank you. I just finished setting my account for 2 step verification and I also logged out of Amazon. I feel somewhat better now. It was scary though. I was glad
Amazon sent me an email about this sign in.
 
You might want to change any other passwords you have with other online companies. Especially if those passwords are similar.

The first time I signed up to NetFlix several years ago, within 24 hrs someone in New York had logged into it. My password although not the same, was similar to another one I had hacked.
My new password is a real doozy! I wrote it down so I can see it all the time. Thanks!
 
I got an email saying someone signed into my Amazon account. It said if this is not you click here. So I did and denied them further access. They had signed an hour before I caught them. They put 2 things in my cart totalling around 300.00. I deleted those 2 men's items.

One was earbuds and the other was something like a wet suit. I saw they didn't place the order.

I then activated further security measures but don't know how well that will go. I also changed my password.

What I don't understand is how someone knew my name and that I had an account.
If that happens log into your Amazon account and check the purchases before you click any email.
It's click bait, a scam.
If there's no purchases or nothing amiss on your account ignore the email. Or you can let Amazon know about the scam email.
 
I totally agree about not doing anything with the email, and always checking the account first and then call Amazon customer support if you find an issue. The scammers have a way of making their emails and messages look real, but they are not from amazon.
You can click on the sender of any email, and it will show you the actual email address that the message is from. Even when it says it is from amazon, most of the time, you will see a different email address when you look at the whole actual address, if it is a scam email.
Here is the phone number for amazon customer support:
206-922-0880
 
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I will add that, when I order from Amazon, I get a confirming email within, say, a few minutes. Those are legitimate. I also get an email when the item is shipped — also legitimate.

This would be quite different than getting an email purporting to be from Amazon out of the blue.
 
"Nowadays", never click on a link in any Emails, even
from companies that you deal with regularly, always
go to their website and check that they have sent it,
either in the message center, or by telephone.

I stopped clicking links a while ago, not even ones from
my bank, I have asked them not to send any, but I suppose
that they sometimes send out a general one to everyone.

Mike.
 
Nobody accessed your Amazon account. You opened a bogus email from a scammer. Now the scammer probably does have information from you.
 


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