Amazon Adds Alexa Scam Protection as Consumer Fraud Losses Rise

Amazon unveiled a new feature for its Alexa for Shopping service on September 2, aimed at helping consumers defend against increasingly prevalent scams. The tool allows users to verify whether a message, be it an email, text, phone call, or other form of communication, genuinely originates from Amazon. This feature is set to launch in the United States and addresses the concerns of approximately 360,000 customers who annually reach out to Amazon's customer service, questioning the authenticity of received messages.

Scott Knapp, Amazon's vice president of worldwide buyer risk prevention, emphasized the importance of providing users with certainty in real-time during critical moments. The system cross-references the communication against Amazon's records of legitimate messages, and responds with one of three possible outcomes: the message is confirmed as authentic, it does not appear to be from Amazon, or Amazon is unable to verify its origin.

When the verification cannot be confirmed, the tool steers users towards additional safety measures.

Moreover, every communication submitted for verification is automatically reported to Amazon's customer protection and enforcement teams. This dual benefit stems from the fact that each inquiry contributes to gathering intelligence on emerging scam tactics, enabling Amazon to identify and potentially disrupt fraudulent activities.

The move comes amid a significant rise in consumer fraud; U.S. consumers reported $15.9 billion in fraud losses to the Federal Trade Commission in 2025, a stark increase from $12 billion in 2024. Impersonation scams are the leading category of reported fraud, with text messages being the most common method of contact.

Michelle W. Bowman, the Federal Reserve's Vice Chair for Supervision, highlighted the growing threat of fraud, stating that it has become a priority for the Federal Reserve. She noted that 21% of U.S. adults experienced financial fraud or scams in 2024, resulting in losses of $63 billion. Bowman warned that such a scale of financial loss can erode consumer trust, putting additional pressure on banks, payment companies, and technology providers to take proactive measures against fraudulent transactions.

Research by PYMNTS Intelligence indicates that younger consumers are particularly vulnerable to digitally initiated scams. Moreover, nearly two-thirds of scam victims make payments within 24 hours of the initial contact, underscoring the critical need for swift and straightforward verification tools.