Amazon account hacked

Has your Amazon account been hacked? Take these steps now!

Couldn’t imagine life without Amazon? You’re not alone! It’s no surprise really, given this leading marketplace’s incredible range and the ease at which you can shop. You can really find almost anything on Amazon, with more and more manufacturers offering their product ranges directly on the platform. But due to its huge global presence, Amazon is also an attractive target for cybercriminals. Read on to learn how to tell if your Amazon account has been hacked. Also discover what steps you should take right away and how to protect yourself. You’ll additionally find out how by using Avira Free Security you can browse the internet even more safely and strengthen the security of your Amazon account.

Here’s what to do if your account’s been hacked

Have cybercriminals gained access to your Amazon account? First try logging in to your account. If this works, change your password straight away and set up two-factor authentication (2FA). Also check all your information: From your order history to your address and payment details. Note down anything that looks odd and correct your information immediately. Where possible, cancel unauthorized orders right away.

Once you’ve secured your account and corrected all your important information, tell Amazon about what’s happened. The platform might have additional information and data that could be useful to you. Also tell friends and family that you’ve been hacked to avoid them falling into the same trap.

How are Amazon accounts hacked?

Account hijacking is a serious online threat. There are several methods cybercriminals can use to hack an Amazon account. The biggest weak point is often the user themselves. The more careless they are online and the more readily they share sensitive information without a second thought, the easier they make it for hackers.

Typical tricks cybercriminals use to gain unauthorized access to other people’s Amazon accounts include:

Let’s take a closer look at individual methods used by hackers.

Phishing attacks

When criminals disguise malicious emails as legitimate messages, this is called phishing. Here, cybercriminals masquerade as a trustworthy person or company, creating a sense of importance to pressure the victim into acting quickly without thinking — such as clicking a link in the email which takes them to a spoof website which at first glance looks like a legitimate one. There they enter their login details, and in doing so they give the cybercriminals quick and easy access to all their details — enabling the hackers to use that information for further criminal activities. But phishing emails don’t always contain links that take the potential victim to a malicious site. In some cases, a file attachment infected with malware is included.

Malware/keyloggers

Malware refers to malicious software that’s smuggled onto the victim’s computer or smartphone. This software can paralyze the user’s device or secretly collect information in the background. The criminals also use malware to blackmail their victims and only unlock the device after a ransom is paid.

A keylogger is a special form of malware. It doesn’t actively search for information on the device, but records each individual keystroke the user makes. So when internet users log in to an account using their private login details, these credentials are registered and stored. The information about the individual keystrokes is either stored locally or transmitted directly to the cybercriminals unnoticed via the internet.

Brute force attacks

Hackers can guess your password on Amazon and other services simply by trial and error. Whether by manually trying out different combinations or using tools, in a brute force attack the cybercriminal goes through every possible combination to crack your account password.

The success of such an attack depends on the complexity of your password. The longer, more complicated, and more unique a password is, the lower the risk that criminals will be successful with a brute force attack.

Data breaches

You’ve probably heard of data breaches at major internet platforms. Here, cybercriminals steal vast amounts of user data — often including each user’s name, address, telephone number, and email address. In severe data breaches, financial data or highly sensitive information such as insurance numbers are also stolen.

The stolen data is in most cases used directly for criminal activities or resold at a profit on the dark web. Regardless of the circumstances, data theft is always a serious problem that not only harms affected individuals but also damages the reputation of the platform from which the data was stolen.

Unsafe networks

Although phishing and malware are among the biggest sources of data theft, an insecure network also allows direct access to your system. For example, if you log in to a public Wi-Fi hotspot without secure access, everything you send and receive is unencrypted, meaning it could be intercepted by third parties.

Typical locations for unsecured networks include cafés, restaurants, and airports. Users need to be careful when banking online or logging in to e-commerce platforms like Amazon when on such networks. Failure to do so can lead to the theft of sensitive information and personal data.

Social engineering

With social engineering, cybercriminals pretend to be a trustworthy person (similar to phishing), often saying they’re an employee or customer support team member from a well-known company. Microsoft, eBay, and Amazon are among the most well-known examples.

The criminals contact the potential victims under the pretext that there’s something wrong with the user account and that they must act quickly. In this case, the victim trusts the cybercriminals and they share their personal data without a second thought. Instead of solving the (fictitious) issue, the hackers now have access to the victim’s account and can potentially cause immense damage.

Signs that your Amazon account’s been hacked

In most cases, you’ll notice right away that your Amazon account has been hacked. Typical signs include:

If spot any suspicious or unusual activity, take immediate action to minimize damage and secure your account.

How do hackers use your account information?

Once hackers gain access to someone’s Amazon account, they can carry out various scams and fraudulent purchases. The most typical forms include:

Take these steps if your Amazon account’s been hacked

Has your Amazon account been hacked and you’re wondering what to do? The following overview will help you take the right steps to minimize any potential damage.

Change your password immediately

If you have even the slightest suspicion that your Amazon account has been hacked, change your password. Make sure your new password is unique, complex, and as random as possible. If you’ve used the same password on other platforms, change it there immediately as well.

Update your account information

If you notice that personal data such as your name, address, or telephone number are no longer correct, change them. Take screenshots to keep a record of the incorrect addresses and information as evidence to assist with future investigations.

Check your order history

Check your order history to see if any items have been ordered without your authorization. If so, cancel them immediately to prevent them from being shipped and charged to your account.

Remove stored payment data

Be sure to also check the payment information stored in your account. Even if your address and other personal information are all correct, hackers might have stored someone else’s payment details, which you may not notice right away. To avoid charging someone else’s account, go through all the data you have stored in your account and correct it if necessary.

Tell Amazon

As soon as you have full control over your account again and any changes have been reversed, tell Amazon customer service. You might also find information, tips, and options to support you with the incident on the platform.

Preventative measures against account hacking

There are other things you can do to prevent your account from being hacked. Make sure you:

Surf even more safely — with Avira Free Security

Strengthen your online protection and make life tougher for cybercriminals by installing Avira Free Security. Enjoy total piece of mind with this all-in-one solution. It can detect and neutralize malicious software in real time, making it your best line of defense to stop malware in its tracks. You can also count on it to identify and alert you of existing threats on your device.

Avira Free Security also has an integrated VPN solution. It allows you to surf more securely, even over public Wi-Fi hotspots, as third parties cannot locate you. Your data remains yours and your true identity is concealed.

 

 

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