Amazon Adds Scam Checker to Alexa for Shopping, Backed by Billions of Sent Messages
Amazon Adds Scam Checker to Alexa for Shopping, Backed by Billions of Sent Messages #
Amazon has added a scam-detection tool to its Alexa for Shopping assistant, giving U.S. customers a way to check whether a suspicious email, text, phone call, or other message genuinely came from the company.
The feature, announced through Amazon’s corporate newsroom, works by comparing the details a customer describes, including sender information, message content, timing, and formatting, against Amazon’s record of every communication it has sent worldwide. That catalog spans billions of messages, which Amazon says puts it in a unique position to give a definitive answer. Responses fall into one of three categories: confirmed as coming from Amazon, confirmed as not from Amazon, or unable to verify.
Amazon says roughly 360,000 customers contact its customer service teams each year to ask whether a message is legitimate. The new tool handles those queries automatically and in real time, without requiring users to wait on a support line. Users do not need an Amazon account or a separate app download.
Scott Knapp, Amazon’s vice president of worldwide buyer risk prevention, described the tool as a response to the uncertainty scammers rely on. “Scammers thrive when customers can’t easily verify whether a message is real,” he said in a statement. “That’s why we built a tool to put certainty directly in customers’ hands, in real time, when they need it most.”
Every verification request is automatically flagged to Amazon’s security teams, creating a feedback loop the company says will help it identify and dismantle fraudulent campaigns more quickly.
Amazon has also added a standalone verification form to its customer service pages, giving users a third option, alongside phone and chat support, to cross-check a suspicious message. The company also partners with the Better Business Bureau on a searchable scam tracker.
Alexa for Shopping launched in May 2025 and incorporates features previously offered through Amazon’s now-discontinued Rufus agentic AI shopping assistant. Since its debut, it has received several updates, including expanded price-history windows covering 30, 90, and 365-day periods. The scam-verification feature is its first security capability. It is currently available only in the United States.
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