You find a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on Amazon AU for $389. The listing has 4.8 stars, hundreds of reviews, and free shipping. You add it to your cart, checkout, and wait. What arrives three weeks later is either nothing at all, or a $15 phone case in a box that weighs the right amount.
Amazon Australia's marketplace is booming — and so are the scams targeting shoppers who use it. The platform's open third-party seller model means anyone can list products, and scammers have learned exactly how to exploit that.
Why Amazon AU Scams Are Growing
Amazon launched in Australia in 2017, making it relatively new compared to the US and UK markets where shoppers have had decades to learn the warning signs. Australian consumers are still building their instincts for spotting dodgy sellers on the platform.
Several factors make Amazon AU particularly attractive to scammers:
- Open marketplace model — Anyone can register as a third-party seller. Amazon vets sellers, but determined fraudsters create new accounts faster than old ones get banned.
- Trust in the Amazon brand — Shoppers assume that if it's on Amazon, it must be legitimate. They don't always distinguish between "sold by Amazon" and "sold by a random third party on Amazon."
- High purchasing power — Australian consumers spend more per transaction on average, making them higher-value targets than shoppers in many other countries.
- Less familiarity with the platform — US and UK shoppers have years of experience identifying fake reviews and suspicious listings. Many Australians are still learning the platform's quirks.
The Seven Most Common Amazon AU Scams
1. Too-Good-to-Be-True Pricing
A $1,800 laptop listed for $290. A $400 pair of headphones going for $45. When the discount is 80–90% on electronics, it's almost never a genuine sale — it's bait. These listings are designed to create urgency ("only 3 left!") and bypass your better judgement.
The scammer either ships nothing, ships a completely different cheap item, or ships a convincing-looking counterfeit. By the time you realise, the seller account has already been abandoned and a new one created.
Red flag: If a deal looks too good to be true on Amazon, it is. Genuine Amazon sales rarely exceed 30–40% off on electronics.
2. Fake Seller Accounts with Fabricated Reviews
Scammers create brand-new seller accounts or hijack dormant ones. They then flood the listing with fake 5-star reviews — often purchased from review farms or generated by bots. The reviews sound generic: "Great product, fast shipping, highly recommend!" with no specific details about the actual item.
Some sophisticated operations even use "review merging" — listing a cheap product, accumulating genuine reviews, then changing the listing to an expensive product while keeping the review history.
Red flag: A seller account created last month with 500 reviews, or a listing where most reviews were posted within the same week.
3. Brushing Scams
You receive an Amazon package you never ordered. Inside is a cheap item — a phone ring holder, a packet of seeds, a random USB cable. There's no return address and no note explaining it. This is a brushing scam.
Scammers use your name and address (often obtained from data breaches) to create fake orders. The "verified purchase" then allows them to post fake positive reviews under your name, boosting their seller ranking. You get a free trinket; they get hundreds of fake five-star reviews.
What to do: Change your Amazon password immediately, enable two-factor authentication, and report it to Amazon. Check your account for any orders or addresses you don't recognise.
4. Phishing Emails Pretending to Be Amazon
"Your order has been cancelled." "Your account has been suspended." "Unusual sign-in activity detected." These emails look exactly like genuine Amazon communications — same logo, same formatting, same tone. But the links lead to fake login pages designed to steal your credentials.
Some phishing emails reference a specific order (often a high-value item you didn't buy) to create panic. You click the link to "cancel" the order and unknowingly hand over your email, password, and payment details.
Red flag: Check the sender's email address carefully. Genuine Amazon emails come from @amazon.com.au. Hover over links before clicking — if the URL doesn't start with amazon.com.au, don't click it.
5. Fake Customer Service Numbers
You Google "Amazon Australia customer service number" and call the first result. Except it's not Amazon — it's a scammer who's paid for a Google ad or optimised a fake webpage to appear at the top of search results.
The fake "customer service agent" asks you to install remote access software (like AnyDesk or TeamViewer) to "fix your account," or asks for your login credentials, credit card details, or asks you to purchase Amazon gift cards to "verify your identity."
How to stay safe: Never Google for Amazon's support number. Always access customer service through the Amazon app or by going directly to amazon.com.au and clicking "Help" at the bottom of the page.
6. Counterfeit Products — Especially Chargers and Cables
Counterfeit phone chargers, USB cables, power banks, and accessories are rampant on Amazon's marketplace. They look identical to genuine products, often using the same branding and packaging. But inside, they're built with substandard components that can overheat, short-circuit, or catch fire.
This isn't just about getting ripped off — it's a genuine safety hazard. Counterfeit chargers lack proper voltage regulation, thermal protection, and electrical insulation. They can damage your device's battery, fry charging circuits, or start electrical fires.
Read more: Why bad chargers destroy your devices — a detailed breakdown of what happens inside a counterfeit charger.
Counterfeit chargers are not just bad products — they're dangerous. Cheap knock-off chargers and cables from marketplace sellers have caused house fires, electrical burns, and permanent device damage across Australia. If a charger costs $3 and claims to be a 65W fast charger, it is not what it claims to be.
7. Amazon Gift Card Scams
This scam doesn't happen on Amazon itself — it uses Amazon gift cards as the payment method. Scammers impersonate the ATO, police, utility companies, or even your boss, and demand urgent payment via Amazon gift cards. "Buy $500 in Amazon gift cards and read us the codes."
No legitimate business, government agency, or organisation will ever ask you to pay with gift cards. Not the ATO. Not your bank. Not Amazon itself. If anyone asks you to buy gift cards as a form of payment, it is a scam. Full stop.
Why gift cards? Once the scammer has the code, the funds are instantly redeemed and untraceable. Unlike bank transfers, there's no way to reverse or recover the money.
How to Spot a Fake Seller
Before buying from any third-party seller on Amazon AU, take 60 seconds to check these details. It could save you hundreds of dollars and weeks of frustration.
- Check the "Selling on Amazon since" date. A seller account created in the last 1–2 months with hundreds of reviews is a major red flag. Legitimate sellers build their reputation over months and years.
- Read the reviews critically. Look for specific details about the product. Generic praise like "great item, fast delivery, 5 stars" posted by dozens of accounts on the same day indicates fake reviews. Real customers mention specific features, sizes, or use cases.
- Compare review count to account age. A seller who's been on Amazon for two weeks shouldn't have 800 reviews. Do the maths — if the numbers don't add up, the reviews aren't real.
- Look for the "Fulfilled by Amazon" badge. This means Amazon stores, packs, and ships the product. It doesn't guarantee the product is genuine, but it does mean Amazon handles returns and has physically handled the item.
- Check the seller's other listings. Legitimate sellers usually specialise. A seller offering laptops, nappies, fishing rods, and perfume all at 80% off is not a real business.
- Compare prices across multiple sellers. If every other seller lists the same product at $150 and one lists it at $35, that $35 listing is almost certainly fraudulent.
How to Shop Safely on Amazon AU
Amazon is a legitimate and useful platform. You don't need to avoid it — you just need to use it with the same caution you'd apply to any online marketplace.
The safest Amazon transaction is one where you've spent 60 seconds checking the seller before clicking "Buy." Scammers rely on impulse. Slow down, check the details, and if something feels off, trust your instincts.
How to Spot a Fake Amazon Email
Phishing emails impersonating Amazon are one of the most common scams in Australia. Here's how to tell real from fake:
- Check the sender address — Genuine Amazon emails come from addresses ending in @amazon.com.au. Scam emails use addresses like @amazon-support-au.com, @amazon.security-alert.com, or other look-alike domains. If the domain isn't exactly amazon.com.au, delete it.
- Hover over every link — Before clicking any link, hover your mouse over it (or long-press on mobile) to see the actual URL. If it doesn't go to amazon.com.au, it's a phishing link designed to steal your credentials.
- Amazon will never ask for your password via email — Any email asking you to "confirm your password," "verify your account details," or "update your payment information" by clicking a link is fraudulent. Amazon handles all of this through their app and website.
- Watch for urgency tactics — "Your account will be suspended in 24 hours." "Immediate action required." "Unauthorised purchase detected." Scammers create panic so you act before thinking. Real Amazon notifications are informational, not threatening.
- Check your Amazon account directly — If an email says there's a problem with an order or your account, don't use the email to fix it. Open a new browser tab, go to amazon.com.au, log in, and check your account. If the issue is real, it'll appear there.
If you've clicked a link in a suspicious email and entered your details — change your Amazon password immediately, enable two-factor authentication, check for unauthorised orders, and remove any payment methods you don't recognise. If you used the same password elsewhere, change those too.
What to Do If You've Been Scammed
If you've been caught by a fake seller, received a counterfeit product, or fallen for a phishing email, act quickly. Here's the exact process:
- File an Amazon A-to-Z Guarantee claim — Go to Your Orders, find the order, and select "Problem with order." Amazon's A-to-Z Guarantee covers purchases from third-party sellers when the item doesn't arrive, arrives damaged, or is materially different from the listing. You have 90 days from the estimated delivery date to file.
- Contact your bank or credit card provider — If Amazon's resolution isn't satisfactory, initiate a chargeback with your credit card company. Explain that you received a counterfeit or fraudulent item. Credit card chargebacks are a powerful consumer protection tool.
- Report the seller to Amazon — On the seller's profile page, click "Report abuse." Provide specific details about the fraud. This helps Amazon identify and remove scam accounts, protecting future buyers.
- Report to Scamwatch — File a report at scamwatch.gov.au. Even if you've resolved the issue with Amazon, reporting helps the ACCC track scam trends and issue public warnings.
- Get your device checked if you installed anything — If a fake "Amazon support" agent had you install remote access software, or if you clicked a phishing link that downloaded something, your device may be compromised. Bring it in for a professional malware removal and security check.
External Resources
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