A text claiming an item you bought on Amazon has been recalled should be treated with skepticism, since scammers are using these false warnings to trick people into giving up their account information.
As Techlicious notes, the scam is circulating. In these messages, fraudsters pretend to be part of Amazon's "Product Safety Team" and push recipients to open a link tied to an alleged recall.
The phishing text typically mentions an Amazon purchase and says the product was recalled over safety concerns. Recipients are then told to use a link to verify their address or request a refund, but that URL opens a fake Amazon sign-in page intended to collect usernames and passwords.
According to the Better Business Bureau, this scam has been going on for a long time and is spreading across the country. Police departments in multiple states, including Arkansas and North Carolina, have also warned residents about it, suggesting the attack is not isolated and may be hitting shoppers in many areas at once, Techlicious reported.
Amazon states real recall notices appear in your account, by email, through notifications, or on the "Your Recalls and Product Safety Alerts" page in the app. The company says it does not send recall alerts by text message.
Scams like this work by taking advantage of something many people are conditioned to take seriously: product safety recalls. Instead of relying on a fake delivery issue or a generic account warning, the text plays on the fear that something you bought could be dangerous.
If someone enters their login credentials on a phishing page, scammers could gain access to the account. Even if the immediate goal is to steal a password, the financial and personal fallout can escalate quickly.
The scam also shows how easily criminals can mimic the language of trusted companies. By referring to an order and using official-sounding wording, the message can seem credible at first glance, especially to busy shoppers accustomed to receiving legitimate shipping and account updates.
If you receive one of these texts, the safest response is not to click the link and not to reply. Interacting with the message could expose your information or confirm to scammers that your phone number is active.
If you already followed the link and typed in your Amazon sign-in details, change your password right away. It is also wise to update passwords on any other accounts that use the same password, since credential reuse can turn one mistake into a much larger security problem.
Shoppers are also encouraged to enable two-factor authentication on Amazon for extra safety. With 2FA enabled, a stolen password alone is not enough for someone to access the account, adding an extra layer of protection.
Recall information should be checked only through official Amazon channels inside your account.
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