A July 2025 report described a Prime phishing email that claimed membership would renew at an unexpectedly high price and urged recipients to cancel. Its cancellation button could lead to a fake Amazon sign-in page designed to steal login and payment details. If you receive a message like this, don’t use its link: open Amazon’s app or type its address yourself to check your account.
What the 200 million-customer warning said
Malwarebytes reported on July 16, 2025, that Amazon had warned an audience of 200 million customers about impersonation emails claiming Prime would automatically renew at an unexpected price. That figure is the alert audience reported by Malwarebytes—not a current count of Amazon customers, and not proof that every recipient was individually targeted. Malwarebytes’ report reproduces Amazon’s warning: “Scammers are sending fake emails claiming your Amazon Prime subscription will automatically renew at an unexpected price.”
The reported lure pairs a surprising renewal amount with a “cancel subscription” button. Clicking can take you to a counterfeit Amazon login page. Information entered there may expose your Amazon account, passwords reused on other services, payment details, and other personal information. A familiar logo, your name, or another personal detail does not prove that a message is genuine; scammers may use information obtained elsewhere.
This is a phishing and impersonation attempt, not evidence that Amazon’s systems were breached. The report does not establish that every Prime renewal email is fraudulent.
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How to check whether the message is real
- Don’t click its link or call a number in the message. Unexpected renewal costs and pressure to cancel are reasons to verify independently.
- Open Amazon directly. Use the Amazon app or type the address into your browser. Check your Prime membership, order history, and account details there—not on a page opened from the email.
- Check the message through Amazon’s official channels. Amazon’s UK help page says customers can review authentic emails in the Message Centre. Amazon’s current guidance recommends going directly to Amazon.com or the app to confirm account information before acting on a message. Amazon’s safety guidance also cautions against unsolicited pressure to install software or provide remote access to a device.
Amazon says it will not ask for payment over the phone or email; payment should be made only in its mobile app, on its website, or in a physical store. That is Amazon’s stated policy, not a guarantee that every message mentioning payment is fraudulent.
How to report a suspicious Amazon message
Use Amazon’s report-a-scam tool or follow the reporting options on Amazon’s scam-prevention page. Amazon’s general overview also lists [email protected]. For UK customers, Amazon’s help page lists [email protected] for forwarding suspicious messages; that address is UK-specific. Amazon UK’s guidance explains how to identify and report suspicious correspondence.
Amazon says that, among customer-reported Amazon-impersonation scams globally in 2025, 28% involved attempts to access customer accounts. It also reported targeting more than 70,000 phishing websites and 14,000 phone numbers for takedown in 2025. Those are Amazon-reported figures and actions, not independently audited measures of how many scams succeeded or were eliminated. Amazon UK’s scam guidance provides its account of these trends.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do if you entered your password
- Change your Amazon password by navigating to Amazon directly, not through the message. If you reused that password elsewhere, change it on each affected account too.
- Turn on two-step verification in your Amazon account’s security settings to add another sign-in check.
- Review payment activity and statements. Contact your bank promptly about unfamiliar charges, using the number on your card or the bank’s official website.
- Stay alert for follow-up contact. Don’t share a one-time passcode, install software, or grant remote device access because an unsolicited caller claims it is needed to fix your account.
Amazon’s current safety guidance recommends going to its app or website directly when you’re unsure whether a message about an account issue or purchase is legitimate.
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