That Amazon 'account locked' text is phishing — check the app, not the link

'Your Amazon account has been locked due to suspicious activity', or a message asking you to confirm an expensive order you never placed, is one of the most-sent phishing lures in the world. Amazon does not lock accounts by text message with a link to fix it. The link leads to a lookalike page that harvests your Amazon password — and since people reuse passwords, often much more.

The safe way to check anything Amazon

  1. Never use the message's link or number.
  2. Open the Amazon app (or type amazon.com): account status shows on the home screen; orders under Your Orders; Amazon's own messages to you live in Account → Message Center — a real alert also exists there.
  3. Nothing wrong in the app = nothing wrong. Delete the text/email; optionally forward scam texts to your carrier (7726 in the US) to help filtering.
  4. Secure the account anyway: unique password + 2-step verification (Account → Login & Security) makes a phished password worthless on its own.

Why this lure outperforms the others

Nearly everyone has an Amazon account, deliveries make 'order problem' messages plausible daily, and a locked-account threat demands action before thought. The counter is a habit, not vigilance: messages are notifications, never doors — always enter through the app yourself.

Clicked and typed? Work the phishing checklist now — password change from the clean path first: what to do if you clicked a phishing link.

Common questions

There's an order in the message I don't recognise. Could it be real? Check inside the official Amazon app or amazon.com (typed yourself): Your Orders. If it's not there, it doesn't exist — the message invented it. If a real unknown order or charge does appear, that's account compromise: change the password, enable 2-step verification, and contact Amazon through the app.

I entered my password on the fake page. How bad is it? Assume that password is public now. Change it at the real Amazon immediately, turn on 2-step verification, and change the same password anywhere else it was used — email first. Then run the full checklist on the phishing page linked below.

Related

Tech support scam pop-ups · Fake Windows Defender warning · Fake Error #268D3 · Fake ZEUS virus pop-up · Fake blue screen scam · Fake renewal email scam · Clicked a phishing link? · Fake Apple security warning · "Your computer has been locked" scam · Social Security scam calls · Fake Amazon account alerts · Someone has remote access to my computer