Amazon has issued a scam warning to more than 300 million customers ahead of the holiday shopping rush, alerting users to a rise in attack activity designed to exploit peak-season traffic. The notice comes as black friday, Cyber Monday, and year-end promotions drive a surge in transactions across the platform, a period that consistently attracts heightened cybercriminal activity.
This update forms part of a broader wave of Amazon seller news, as the company increases efforts to address security risks during one of the busiest periods of the year. While the warning is directed broadly at Amazon users, it carries specific implications for sellers in the US and UK, where seasonal demand, advertising spend, and account activity reach their highest levels. Scam activity during this period not only affects customers, but it can also disrupt seller operations, damage brand trust, and, in some cases, lead to account security incidents if risks are not addressed proactively.
What Amazon’s scam warning includes
According to Amazon, the warning relates to an increase in scam attempts that rely on impersonation, urgency, and misleading communications during the holiday period. These attacks commonly involve messages that appear to come from Amazon, claiming there is an issue with an account, order, delivery, or refund, and prompting recipients to take immediate action.
Amazon has noted that scammers deliberately exploit the scale and speed of holiday shopping to blend in with legitimate notifications. With millions of orders being processed daily, fraudulent messages can appear credible, particularly when users are already expecting updates related to purchases or account activity.
For sellers, this environment creates added exposure. Scammers may reference seller brand names, product listings, or customer orders to appear legitimate, increasing the likelihood that buyers associate fraudulent activity with real businesses. At the same time, sellers themselves can be targeted through phishing attempts aimed at capturing login credentials or gaining access to seller central accounts during a period of elevated operational pressure.
Why this warning matters for US and UK sellers
At first glance, Amazon’s scam warning may appear to be a customer-facing issue, but its impact extends directly into seller operations. During the holiday period, sellers in the US and UK typically experience their highest order volumes, increased advertising spend, and heavier reliance on automated systems. This combination creates conditions where even minor disruptions can escalate quickly.
When scam activity increases, customer confidence becomes more fragile. Buyers who receive fraudulent messages or encounter suspicious links may associate the experience with Amazon itself or with the seller connected to the transaction. This can lead to abandoned purchases, higher return rates, negative feedback, or an increase in customer service inquiries at a time when seller support teams are already stretched.
There is also a direct account-level risk. Scammers frequently target sellers through emails or messages that mimic legitimate Amazon communications, often referencing account health, policy violations, or payout issues. These messages are designed to create urgency, increasing the likelihood of mistakes during a high-pressure sales period. A compromised seller account during the holiday rush can result in listing changes, unauthorized advertising spend, or temporary selling restrictions that are difficult to resolve quickly.
For brand owners and private-label sellers, the risk extends further. Fraudulent messages or fake offers that misuse brand names can damage long-term trust, especially among first-time buyers. In competitive US and UK marketplaces, where shoppers have many alternatives, even a short-term loss of credibility can affect conversion rates beyond the holiday season.
In short, Amazon’s warning is not only about protecting shoppers from scams. It highlights a broader risk environment where sellers must remain vigilant to protect account security, customer relationships, and revenue during the most critical sales window of the year.
Common scam tactics sellers should watch for during the holiday season
Scam activity during the holiday rush tends to follow predictable patterns, but the volume and sophistication increase significantly. For Amazon sellers, recognizing these tactics early is critical, as many are designed to exploit time pressure and high transaction volume.
Impersonation of Amazon support
One of the most common tactics involves messages that appear to come from Amazon support or Seller Central. These messages may claim there is an urgent issue with account health, policy compliance, or disbursements, and often include links to external pages that closely resemble official Amazon login screens.
During peak season, when sellers are monitoring performance metrics and account notifications closely, these messages can be difficult to distinguish from legitimate communications. Any request to log in outside of Seller Central or to share credentials should be treated as a warning sign.
Fake buyer messages and order-related claims
Scammers also pose as buyers, sending messages that reference real or realistic order details. These messages may claim there is a delivery problem, a payment issue, or a refund dispute, and attempt to redirect sellers to external links or request sensitive information.
Because genuine buyer messages increase during the holidays, fraudulent ones can blend in easily. Sellers should be cautious of messages that create urgency or request actions outside Amazon’s messaging system.
Phishing emails targeting seller credentials
Phishing campaigns often spike during black friday and Cyber Monday, targeting seller email addresses with messages that mimic official Amazon alerts. These emails may reference suspension warnings, tax documentation issues, or changes to seller policies, all designed to prompt immediate action.
Even experienced sellers can be vulnerable during high-volume periods, particularly when managing multiple marketplaces across the US and UK. Verifying alerts directly within Seller Central rather than through email links remains essential.
Brand and listing impersonation
For brand owners, another growing risk involves scammers creating fake offers or external ads that misuse brand names, product images, or listing details. While these scams may not always involve direct account access, they can mislead customers and damage brand credibility.
Customers affected by these scams often associate the negative experience with the legitimate seller, leading to increased complaints, negative reviews, or reduced trust, even if the seller was not directly involved.
Steps sellers can take to protect their accounts and customers
With scam activity increasing during the holiday season, sellers should focus on reducing risk through practical safeguards rather than reactive fixes. Many account issues that arise during peak periods are difficult to resolve quickly, making prevention especially important.
Secure seller central access
Sellers should ensure that two-step verification is enabled for all users with access to Seller Central. This is one of the most effective defenses against unauthorized access, particularly when phishing attempts are more frequent. Access permissions should also be reviewed to confirm that only essential team members have account-level privileges.
Using strong, unique passwords and avoiding shared login credentials can further reduce exposure, especially for businesses operating across multiple US and UK marketplaces.
Verify communications through official channels
All account alerts, performance notifications, and policy messages should be verified directly within Seller Central. Sellers should avoid clicking links in emails or messages that claim to require immediate action, even if they appear legitimate.
Amazon does not request sensitive information, passwords, or verification codes through external links or unsolicited messages. Treating any such request as suspicious can prevent credential compromise.
Monitor account activity closely during peak periods
Holiday traffic increases the likelihood that unusual activity may go unnoticed. Sellers should regularly review login history, advertising spend, listing changes, and order activity to identify anomalies early.
Unexpected changes to product listings, pricing, or advertising campaigns can be indicators of unauthorized access and should be investigated immediately.
Communicate clearly with customers
Clear and consistent communication can reduce confusion when customers encounter suspicious messages. Sellers can use product listings, storefronts, or follow-up messages to remind buyers that official communication will occur only through Amazon’s platform.
When customers report suspicious activity, responding promptly and directing them to official Amazon support channels helps maintain trust and minimizes the risk of negative feedback.
Document and report suspicious activity
Any suspected scam attempts should be reported through Amazon’s reporting tools. Documenting incidents, including screenshots and timestamps, can be helpful if further investigation is required.
Reporting not only protects individual seller accounts but also helps Amazon identify broader patterns of abuse during the holiday season.
What sellers should keep in mind heading into the holiday rush
As the holiday season approaches, the scale and speed of activity on Amazon leave little room for error. Order volumes increase rapidly, advertising campaigns run at full intensity, and operational decisions are often made under time pressure. In this environment, security awareness becomes a business-critical function rather than a background task.
Sellers should assume that scam attempts will continue throughout the season, not just around major sales events such as Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Maintaining consistent security practices, even during peak demand, reduces the risk of account disruption when response times from support teams may be slower due to volume.
It is also important for sellers to align internal teams and partners. Anyone with access to Seller Central, advertising accounts, or brand assets should be aware of common scam tactics and understand how legitimate Amazon communications are delivered. Clear internal processes can prevent well-intentioned but rushed actions that lead to account compromise.
Finally, sellers should view Amazon’s warning as an opportunity to reinforce trust with customers. Transparent communication, fast responses to concerns, and directing buyers to official Amazon channels when issues arise can help preserve credibility during a period when customer confidence is easily shaken.
The holiday rush is one of the most profitable periods for Amazon sellers in the US and UK. Approaching it with a heightened focus on security and customer trust can help ensure that increased demand translates into sustainable growth rather than avoidable risk.
How Amazon is responding to the increase in scam activity
Amazon has stated that it is actively monitoring and responding to scam and impersonation attempts, particularly during high-traffic periods such as the holiday season. The company continues to invest in automated detection systems designed to identify fraudulent messages, fake websites, and suspicious account behavior before they reach users at scale.
In its warning to customers, Amazon emphasized that it communicates with buyers and sellers primarily through official channels, including the Amazon website, mobile app, and Seller Central. The company has repeatedly advised users to avoid engaging with messages that request sensitive information or direct them to external links that fall outside these environments.
Amazon also works with external partners, including law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity organizations, to track and disrupt organized scam operations. While these efforts operate largely behind the scenes, they play a critical role in reducing the overall volume of fraudulent activity on the platform.
For sellers, understanding Amazon’s role in scam prevention helps set realistic expectations. While Amazon can detect and block many threats, it cannot prevent every attempt from reaching users. This makes seller-level vigilance an essential layer of protection, particularly during periods when scam attempts increase in frequency and sophistication.
Amazon’s guidance is consistent: users should report suspected scams promptly through official reporting tools. These reports help improve detection systems and reduce exposure for other sellers and customers across the US and UK marketplaces.
Key takeaways for Amazon sellers during the holiday season
Amazon’s warning to more than 300 million customers highlights a broader reality of the holiday period: increased sales activity also brings increased risk. For sellers in the US and UK, this makes security awareness and operational discipline especially important during peak season.
The most important takeaway is that scam activity does not operate in isolation. Customer-facing scams can affect seller performance through lost trust, negative feedback, and higher support volume, while seller-targeted attacks can lead to account disruptions that are difficult to resolve quickly during high-demand periods.
Sellers should prioritize secure access to Seller Central, verify all communications through official Amazon channels, and remain cautious of messages that rely on urgency or request information outside the platform. Regular monitoring of account activity and clear communication with customers can further reduce exposure.
Finally, sellers should view Amazon’s scam warning as a prompt to reinforce best practices rather than a one-time alert. Staying vigilant throughout the holiday season helps protect not only individual accounts, but also long-term brand credibility in highly competitive US and UK marketplaces.
Approached proactively, the holiday rush can remain a period of growth rather than disruption.
Strengthening your Amazon strategy during the holiday season
For Amazon sellers navigating increased risk during the holiday rush, account security is only one part of the equation. Visibility, listing stability, and organic performance also play a critical role in maintaining sales momentum when competition intensifies and advertising costs rise.
At Epiphany Infotech, we work closely with Amazon sellers in the US and UK to help them strengthen listing performance while staying aligned with Amazon’s marketplace standards. Our approach to Amazon SEO services focuses on improving keyword visibility, optimizing listing structure, and reducing performance volatility during high-traffic periods like the holiday season.
This allows sellers to protect both short-term revenue and long-term organic growth during one of the most competitive times of the year.
Experienced digital marketeer obsessed with all things SEO, Amazon, and Google PPC. I love testing, learning, and teaching what actually works. Helping businesses grow – one optimized campaign at a time.
