Safe Online Shopping

Security is a priority at Amazon.co.uk and we make every effort to ensure that our transaction process is safe and that your personal information is secure

Do Not Share Personal Information

Always Pay Via Amazon Marketplace

Check your Seller's Feedback

Identify False (Spoof or Phishing) E-mails

Report Phishing E-mails

Choose a Strong Password

Protect Your Passwords

Protect Your System

Be Wary of Unsolicited E-mails and Phone Calls

If You're a Buyer, Only Use Amazon for Marketplace Transactions

Do Not Share Personal Information

Amazon.co.uk will never e-mail or call you to ask you to disclose or verify your Amazon.co.uk password, credit card or bank-account number, or any other personal information. If you're contacted or receive an unsolicited e-mail which asks you any of this information, disregard the request and report the incident to Amazon.co.uk for investigation.

Always Pay Via Amazon Marketplace

Amazon.co.uk Marketplace is safe, secure and guaranteed. It provides you with a convenient method of payment and is the only authorised and recognised form of payment for items sold by Sellers on Amazon.co.uk. You should never pay for a Marketplace item outside of the Amazon.co.uk site.

If you're contacted by a Seller requesting payment via another method, you should regard it as fraudulent and must report to Amazon.co.uk. Items paid for outside Amazon.co.uk Marketplace aren't eligible for protection under the Amazon.co.uk A-to-Z Safe Buying Guarantee.

Check your Seller's Feedback

Always check a Seller's feedback history before you order an item from them. This is the most important indicator of their overall quality and will give you information about the quality of their products, the speed and quality of their dispatch and delivery and their willingness to resolve transaction disputes.

Identify False (Spoof or Phishing) E-mails

If you receive an e-mail asking you for personal information or directing you to a site other than Amazon.co.uk, or asking you to pay outside of Amazon Marketplace, it could be a "spoof" or "phishing" e-mail and should be considered as fraudulent.

Genuine Amazon e-mails come from an e-mail address ending in "@amazon.co.uk" or "@amazon.com". If you receive an e-mail in a different format i.e. amazon-security@hotmail.com, you can be sure that it's fraudulent.

Some phishing e-mails contain links to websites that contain the word "amazon" somewhere in the URL but will take you to a completely different website. If you hover over the link you often can see the underlying URL which will be in a different format to those linked to within the Amazon sites.

If you click though on a phishing e-mail and are taken to a page looking like "Your Account" or anything that asks you to verify or change your personal details, you should consider it as fraudulent.

Report Phishing E-mails

E-mail stop-spoofing@amazon.com and attach the e-mail you suspect is fake. By attaching the e-mail we can more easily trace its origins. If you can't include the e-mail as an attachment, forward it to stop-spoofing@amazon.com and include as much of the header information as you can.

Choose a Strong Password

Use a different password on Amazon to that which you use on other websites. If you need help remembering your password, write it down and keep it in your purse, wallet, or another secure location. Use at least 8 characters and though it's not a requirement, adding numbers or special characters to your password will make it even stronger. For example, the password "rivers2!%" is a much stronger password than "rivers."

Avoid passwords that are easy to guess, such as "secret," "password," "letmein," "amazon," or "123456". Avoid using only a dictionary word, your name, e-mail address, or other personal information that can easily be obtained.

Passwords are case sensitive. For instance, "RIVERS2!%" and "rivers2!%" are two different passwords. When choosing a password, remember the capitalisation you use, and make sure that the CAPS LOCK key on your keyboard isn't turned on.

Protect Your Passwords

Keep your passwords private; anybody who knows your password may access your account. Avoid using the same password for multiple online accounts. Always log out when you complete an online session on a public computer. Change your password periodically.

Protect Your System

Some phishing e-mails contain attachments and link to websites that try to install malicious software on your computer. Here are some ways you can help protect your system against these types of threats.

1. Install anti-virus or anti-malware software from a reputable company.

   Once it's installed, be sure to run a full scan of your computer regularly. You'll also want to run a full scan if you visit a site through a link in a phishing e-mail or open an unsolicited attachment.

   Please be aware that that there are many fake anti-malware products out there. Don't install one from a website that tells you your computer is infected, as these warnings may be fake. Microsoft has free anti-malware software at http://microsoft.com/security.

2. Check for and install updates for all programs on your computer.

   Run Windows Update if you have a Windows computer or Software Update if you have a Mac. We also strongly recommend that you make sure Adobe Flash, Adobe Reader, and Java are all up to date on your computer.

3. If you've typed a password on a malicious website, change it on the legitimate website immediately.

   Select strong passwords of eight characters or more that include a variety of letters, numbers, and symbols. You can learn how to change your Amazon.co.uk password on our Help page about Changing Your Name, E-mail Address or Password

4. If you entered your credit card information on a malicious website or replied to an email with that information, immediately contact your credit card company.

   Many fake e-mail messages ask you to respond with your credit card number or click a link and type it there to "verify your identity." If you did so, your credit card number may have been stolen and we recommend that you contact your credit card company to report it and get a new card issued. Don't forget to update your card on Amazon.co.uk afterward.

5. Never reply to unsolicited messages.

   Replying to phishing and spam messages only confirms to the sender that they have a valid e-mail address to send more spam and phishing to. If you want to unsubscribe from Amazon mailings, do so directly through our website instead of clicking a link in an e-mail.

Be Wary of Unsolicited E-mails and Phone Calls

We'll never call or e-mail you to ask for your Amazon.co.uk password, credit card, or banking account number. That information should only be submitted when completing an order with us, registering to sell on Amazon, when contacting us directly, or when making updates to Your Account.

If you receive a suspicious e-mail with a link to update your account information, don't click on the link. Instead go directly to www.amazon.co.uk and then to Your Account to update the information.

For help determining whether or not a contact came from Amazon, please visit our Security & Privacy page.

If You're a Buyer, Only Use Amazon for Marketplace Transactions

Review the Feedback on Your Seller to see what other customers say about their experiences with the seller. Only place Marketplace orders through the Amazon Shopping Basket or 1-Click; never pay using an alternative method like cheque, cash, postal order, etc.

Marketplace orders not made through the Shopping Basket or 1-Click aren't covered by the A-to-z Safe Buying Guarantee.