Amazon has closed my account due to unauthorized activity, what do I do now? - Page 2

pidgeon92 · 07-09-2011, 11:37 AM

Someone on Kindleboards recently had the exact same thing happen to them.

http://www.kindleboards.com/index.ph...c,72486.0.html

TallMomof2 · 07-09-2011, 12:00 PM

I got the same exact email last month, it's a scam.

ficbot · 07-09-2011, 12:53 PM

To clarify: I did not log into anything from the email. I did not click on anything. I logged into the actual amazon.com site. There was also more to the email that I did not quote, about how to contact Amazon support, signed with a person's name etc. It was a legit email.

I telephoned Amazon this morning and they said it was a legit email, there WAS unauthorized activity, and they can just reactivate my account and have me change the password. I hope this will be enough. I also checked my credit card and it has not been hacked. I am going to go this morning and change my password on all my important websites.

TimW · 07-09-2011, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

To clarify: I did not log into anything from the email. I did not click on anything. I logged into the actual amazon.com site. There was also more to the email that I did not quote, about how to contact Amazon support, signed with a person's name etc. It was a legit email.

I telephoned Amazon this morning and they said it was a legit email, there WAS unauthorized activity, and they can just reactivate my account and have me change the password. I hope this will be enough. I also checked my credit card and it has not been hacked. I am going to go this morning and change my password on all my important websites.

Their first inclination was to lock down the account to keep the swine from robbing you blind. Very good. By the way, you handled it correctly.

ficbot · 07-09-2011, 01:12 PM

So, if Amazon reactivates my account and I change the password, will this be enough to ensure its future safety? I really don't want to create a whole new account if possible because the rep told me they have no facility to transfer my Kindle books to a different account.

lestatar · 07-09-2011, 01:28 PM

^ No guarantees in this life, not that I have seen.

Use a sensible, reasonably strong password with letters and numbers and you increase your odds of being safe online.

Avoid stuff like birthdays, kids names, common phrases, social security numbers, anniversaries...that sort of thing. Ideally, it should be something that has personal meaning to you and you alone. Use some good common sense - if your name is John and you like the book '1984', don't use john1984 as your password.

Best I can suggest and very glad you touched base with Amazon immediately. You should be fine moving forward...inconvenienced, but fine.

Kudos to Amazon for doing a terrific, proactive job in this case.

@TallMomof2: With this new info from the OP ficbot, are you certain you received the exact same email?

kacir · 07-09-2011, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lestatar

@TallMomof2: With this new info from the OP ficbot, are you certain you received the exact same email?

I am not TallMomof2, but anyway ...

If I was a scammer, I would take a legitimate, often used email as an example for creating phishing one.

Loosheesh · 07-09-2011, 02:18 PM

ficbot, in addition to changing the password, I think you should also consider changing the email address associated with the account.

Blossom · 07-09-2011, 03:02 PM

Yeah it seems that hacker group has been wreaking havoc and alot of amazon accounts have been compromised by it.

First thing to do is remove any payment info link to your account. Go buy a gift card or a cheap debit card and leave a small amount on it for buying books if you do not want enter your CC info each time then remove it. Change your passwords just to be safe and use upper, lower letters and numbers in it.

It isn't safe right now for anyone it seems. Paypal has also taken a hit. It makes me nervous. I also suggest don't use Facebook connect, Gmail or any of those merge accounts log in sites. If you can remove the accounts from each other. It makes the trail harder to follow.

Keep your accounts separate. Use different email addresses for different things. Never use your personal email linked to your shopping accounts for forums and other free services like Facebook. Use different passwords for each site if you can or a group of passwords for each type of site if you can't remember them all.

Clean out your webmail specially if you use gmail. Log in occasionally and clean out the mail it archives that shows where your accounts may be. I had my gmail hacked once so I do this alot.

I think right now this applies to all of us. No one is safe with info being posted right and left. So change your passwords!

Think of your online identity as a trail and make it hard for someone who may get one type of your info to follow the other.

pidgeon92 · 07-09-2011, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

the rep told me they have no facility to transfer my Kindle books to a different account.

I'm not sure this is accurate. Contact Kindle CS directly instead:

Amazon Kindle customer service (1-866-321-8851)

TallMomof2 · 07-09-2011, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lestatar

^ No guarantees in this life, not that I have seen.

Use a sensible, reasonably strong password with letters and numbers and you increase your odds of being safe online.

Avoid stuff like birthdays, kids names, common phrases, social security numbers, anniversaries...that sort of thing. Ideally, it should be something that has personal meaning to you and you alone. Use some good common sense - if your name is John and you like the book '1984', don't use john1984 as your password.

Best I can suggest and very glad you touched base with Amazon immediately. You should be fine moving forward...inconvenienced, but fine.

Kudos to Amazon for doing a terrific, proactive job in this case.

@TallMomof2: With this new info from the OP ficbot, are you certain you received the exact same email?

It was a month ago but the wording was almost identical as I recall.

OtterBooks · 07-09-2011, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kacir

DO NOT! reply to that message.
Instead contact Amazon by other means - like calling customer support, or type an email address for customer support directly. Show them this email.

It is possible that the "reply address" embedded in the email leads to some scammer and by replying you provide info that will let them steal your account.

This is smart advice. Call Amazon and they should take care of the situation for you.

TimW · 07-09-2011, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blossom

Yeah it seems that hacker group has been wreaking havoc and alot of amazon accounts have been compromised by it.

First thing to do is remove any payment info link to your account. Go buy a gift card or a cheap debit card and leave a small amount on it for buying books if you do not want enter your CC info each time then remove it. Change your passwords just to be safe and use upper, lower letters and numbers in it.

It isn't safe right now for anyone it seems. Paypal has also taken a hit. It makes me nervous. I also suggest don't use Facebook connect, Gmail or any of those merge accounts log in sites. If you can remove the accounts from each other. It makes the trail harder to follow.

Keep your accounts separate. Use different email addresses for different things. Never use your personal email linked to your shopping accounts for forums and other free services like Facebook. Use different passwords for each site if you can or a group of passwords for each type of site if you can't remember them all.

Clean out your webmail specially if you use gmail. Log in occasionally and clean out the mail it archives that shows where your accounts may be. I had my gmail hacked once so I do this alot.

I think right now this applies to all of us. No one is safe with info being posted right and left. So change your passwords!

Think of your online identity as a trail and make it hard for someone who may get one type of your info to follow the other.

This is very good advice. I have a horrible habit of using the same PW for everything...I changed that today.

Solicitous · 07-09-2011, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimW

This is very good advice. I have a horrible habit of using the same PW for everything...I changed that today.

I use a range of 4 passwords. Trouble is between all the accounts one has such as iTunes, work log on, your personal email, online banking, forums, various other sites (such as in aus the ato and aus post) you either need to narrow the number of passwords or write them all down. Trouble is if you write them down then one has the ease of seeing everywhere where you have an account.

Still one of the best things one can do is not link their cc with any account, so if one does get hacked you won't be out of pocket.

anachronicus · 07-09-2011, 08:15 PM

I use a free, open source password manager called keepass. It will remember all your passwords, and even generate them for you based on whatever criteria you choose. This way you can have strong, random passwords for each account. I highly recommend it or some other tool like it.

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07-09-2011, 11:37 AM	#16
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	Someone on Kindleboards recently had the exact same thing happen to them. http://www.kindleboards.com/index.ph...c,72486.0.html

07-09-2011, 12:00 PM	#17
TallMomof2 Kindlephilia Posts: 2,017 Karma: 1139255 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Snowpacolypse 2010 Device: Too many to count	I got the same exact email last month, it's a scam.

07-09-2011, 12:53 PM	#18
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	To clarify: I did not log into anything from the email. I did not click on anything. I logged into the actual amazon.com site. There was also more to the email that I did not quote, about how to contact Amazon support, signed with a person's name etc. It was a legit email. I telephoned Amazon this morning and they said it was a legit email, there WAS unauthorized activity, and they can just reactivate my account and have me change the password. I hope this will be enough. I also checked my credit card and it has not been hacked. I am going to go this morning and change my password on all my important websites.

07-09-2011, 01:12 PM	#20
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	So, if Amazon reactivates my account and I change the password, will this be enough to ensure its future safety? I really don't want to create a whole new account if possible because the rep told me they have no facility to transfer my Kindle books to a different account.

07-09-2011, 01:28 PM	#21
lestatar LB's lolz Mutt Minion Posts: 2,902 Karma: 5700001 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Hong Kong now but NYC forever Device: Kindle3, GalaxyTab, BB Bold9700, BB 8300, Sony Clie, Palm Vx, Palm III	^ No guarantees in this life, not that I have seen. Use a sensible, reasonably strong password with letters and numbers and you increase your odds of being safe online. Avoid stuff like birthdays, kids names, common phrases, social security numbers, anniversaries...that sort of thing. Ideally, it should be something that has personal meaning to you and you alone. Use some good common sense - if your name is John and you like the book '1984', don't use john1984 as your password. Best I can suggest and very glad you touched base with Amazon immediately. You should be fine moving forward...inconvenienced, but fine. Kudos to Amazon for doing a terrific, proactive job in this case. @TallMomof2: With this new info from the OP ficbot, are you certain you received the exact same email?

07-09-2011, 02:18 PM	#23
Loosheesh Wizard Posts: 1,673 Karma: 3111989 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Jianghu Device: PW1, PW5, iPhone SE 2016, iPhone 13 Pro, iPad Pro 9.7, iPad Pro 2021	ficbot, in addition to changing the password, I think you should also consider changing the email address associated with the account.

07-09-2011, 03:02 PM	#24
Blossom Treasure Seeker Posts: 18,708 Karma: 26026435 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Kobo HD Glo, Kindles, Kindle Fires, Andriod Devices	Yeah it seems that hacker group has been wreaking havoc and alot of amazon accounts have been compromised by it. First thing to do is remove any payment info link to your account. Go buy a gift card or a cheap debit card and leave a small amount on it for buying books if you do not want enter your CC info each time then remove it. Change your passwords just to be safe and use upper, lower letters and numbers in it. It isn't safe right now for anyone it seems. Paypal has also taken a hit. It makes me nervous. I also suggest don't use Facebook connect, Gmail or any of those merge accounts log in sites. If you can remove the accounts from each other. It makes the trail harder to follow. Keep your accounts separate. Use different email addresses for different things. Never use your personal email linked to your shopping accounts for forums and other free services like Facebook. Use different passwords for each site if you can or a group of passwords for each type of site if you can't remember them all. Clean out your webmail specially if you use gmail. Log in occasionally and clean out the mail it archives that shows where your accounts may be. I had my gmail hacked once so I do this alot. I think right now this applies to all of us. No one is safe with info being posted right and left. So change your passwords! Think of your online identity as a trail and make it hard for someone who may get one type of your info to follow the other.

07-09-2011, 08:15 PM	#30
anachronicus Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: KindleDX	I use a free, open source password manager called keepass. It will remember all your passwords, and even generate them for you based on whatever criteria you choose. This way you can have strong, random passwords for each account. I highly recommend it or some other tool like it.