Amazon Deploys Technology, Education to Combat Impersonation Fraud

Amazon is using several tactics to combat impersonation fraud.

The company’s multifaceted approach includes deploying advanced technologies for better account protection, launching educational initiatives to help customers recognize genuine communications, and collaborating with law enforcement to dismantle scam operations, Amazon said in a Tuesday (March 5) blog post.

By 2023, Amazon reported a 15% decrease in scam victims among its customers, thanks to the efforts of its workforce, including machine learning specialists and investigators, who have helped shut down fraudulent operations, according to the post.

These efforts are taking place at a time when, amid rising internet use and advanced technology, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission reported American consumers suffered $8.8 billion in scam losses in 2022 and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance reported global losses surpassing $1 trillion in 2023, per the post.

Many scams mimic Amazon, attempting to trick consumers with fake issues related to orders or accounts, the post said.

“Using unsolicited contact via email, phone calls, text, social media and other communication tools, scammers pretend to be legitimate, well-known brands and institutions, like Amazon, and design scams that manipulate victims,” the company said in the post.

Amazon’s collaboration with Microsoft and India’s Central Bureau of Investigation in 2023 shut down more than 70 fraudulent call centers in India, according to the post.

Additionally, Amazon enhances consumer awareness with online shopping safety tips and the Amazon.com/ReportAScam tool, available in over 20 languages, to encourage the reporting of scams, per the post.

“By working together across industries and around the world, we can build a world where consumers navigate their lives confident that they will not fall victim to scams,” Amazon said in the post. “We are keen to work together with others to chart a course to achieve it.”

The FTC is working to combat impersonation scams too. The agency said Feb. 15 that it proposed a new set of rules that would prohibit the impersonation of individuals and that it is “committed to using all of its tools to detect, deter and halt impersonation fraud.”

“With voice cloning and other [artificial intelligence-driven] scams on the rise, protecting Americans from impersonator fraud is more critical than ever,” FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said when announcing the proposed rules.