The ratings reflect Amazon’s continuous commitment to protecting consumers by helping them avoid impersonation scams as well as other attempts by bad actors to defraud them. In 2023, Amazon invested more than $1.2 billion and employed more than 15,000 people—including machine learning scientists, software developers, and expert investigators—who were dedicated to protecting customers, brands, selling partners, and our store from fraud and other forms of abuse.
We’re helping protect consumers against scams and all forms of fraud through actions in five key areas:
1. Our innovations in seller vetting are deterring bad actors from attempting to create new selling accounts in our store. Our robust seller verification uses document forgery detection, advanced image and video verification, and other technologies to quickly confirm the authenticity of government-issued identity documents and whether they match the individual applying to sell in our store. These technologies, coupled with continued innovation in our machine learning-based detection, are deterring bad actors from attempting to create new Amazon selling accounts. In 2023, Amazon stopped more than 700,000 bad actor attempts to create new selling accounts globally, stopping them before they were able to list a single product for sale in our store. This is down from 6 million attempts by bad actors to create new Amazon selling accounts in 2020.
2. We have zero tolerance for criminals who pretend to be Amazon to commit fraud and continue to work to hold bad actors accountable. In 2023, we initiated the takedown of more than 40,000 phishing websites and 10,000 phone numbers impersonating Amazon. We also have referred hundreds of bad actors across the globe to local law enforcement authorities, and we will continue to support their efforts in ensuring these scammers are held accountable.
3. We stand behind every product in our store, whether it is sold by Amazon, or by an independent small business in which case customers are covered with the A-to-Z Guarantee. This protection applies to products purchased in our stores worldwide. In the unlikely event that customers experience issues with timely delivery or the condition of their purchase, we will make it right by refunding or replacing it.
4. We work hard to ensure our customers know that when they are communicating with Amazon it is really us. We provide resources on how to tell whether an email, phone call, text message, or webpage is really from Amazon. In 2022, we registered with the Singapore SMS Sender ID Registry so that our customers can be certain that text messages they receive from Amazon are genuine. Since 2022, we have implemented industry-leading email verification technology across more than 20 countries, including Singapore, to make it easier for consumers to identify phishing emails and harder for scammers to commit fraud. Customers using Gmail, Yahoo!, and other common email providers can be confident an email is coming from Amazon because they will see the Amazon smile logo icon in their inbox.
5. We help educate consumers on how to avoid scams. We regularly share scam trends and information on how to identify and avoid scams with our customers. Below are the scam protection tips we communicated to our Singapore customers in March 2024:
Here are some important tips to identify scams and keep your account and information safe:
1. Trust Amazon-owned channels.
Amazon Singapore will never ask you to download any software in order to receive assistance. Always go through the Amazon mobile app or website when seeking customer service, tech support, or when looking to make changes to your account.
2. Be wary of false urgency or secrecy.
Scammers might try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they're asking. Be wary any time someone tries to convince you that you must act now or cannot discuss with trusted individuals.
3. Never pay over the phone.
Amazon Singapore will never ask you to provide payment information, including gift cards for products or services over the phone. Check your financial institution records for unknown or suspicious account activity and seek the advice of your financial institution directly.
4. Verify links first.
Review the link for misspellings or repeated characters. Legitimate Amazon Singapore websites contain "amazon.sg" or "amazon.sg/support." Go directly to our website when seeking help with Amazon devices/services, orders or to make changes to your account.
5. Verify email senders.
Legitimate Amazon Singapore emails contain “@amazon.sg”. In your web browser, hover over the display name under “From” to see the full sender address. Look for misspellings or added or substituted characters. Visit the Message Centre to view authentic messages from Amazon.
For more information on how to stay safe online, visit Security & Privacy on the Amazon Singapore Customer Service page.
If you receive communication — a call, text, or email — that you think may not be from Amazon Singapore, please report it to us at amazon.sg/reportascam.
For all other scams, you can call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit such information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. For more information on scams, members of the public can also visit Scam Alert or call the anti-scam hotline at 1800-722-6688.
