Amazon says my account is locked and I must verify, is this a phishing email?
Last reviewed: 2026-08-01 · Checked with Hunch’s on-device engine, the same one inside the extension. How Hunch checks →
Part of our guide: How to avoid online shopping scams →
Yes, this is account-suspension phishing. Amazon locks accounts inside its own systems and asks you to sign in at amazon.com, never at a look-alike like amazon-secure.example with a 24-hour deadline. A "your account is locked, verify within 24 hours or lose access" email that links off-site is manufactured urgency designed to harvest your login.
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This one preys on how much people rely on their Amazon account for orders, payments, and saved cards, so the threat of losing it feels genuinely costly. The email borrows Amazon's authority and adds a deadline, turning a routine "is this real?" pause into a rushed sign-in on a page the scammer controls.
Illustrative example of the pattern, not a real message someone received.
How to verify it yourself
- Don't click the email link. Type amazon.com into your browser yourself and sign in, if there's a real hold, you'll see it there.
- Inspect the sender address and the link domain: Amazon uses amazon.com, not amazon-secure.example or a host with extra words.
- A real lock is resolved inside your Amazon account, never through a countdown link in an email.
- Never enter your password, card, or a one-time code on a page you reached by tapping an email link.
Common questions
is amazon-secure.example a real Amazon login page
No. Amazon signs you in only at amazon.com. A host like amazon-secure.example is a look-alike built to capture whatever you type.
does Amazon lock accounts and email you to verify
Amazon can pause an account for security, but you clear it by signing in at amazon.com, not through an emailed link to another domain with a deadline.
will Amazon permanently close my account in 24 hours
That threat is the pressure tactic. Real account issues don't come with a same-day countdown; the clock exists to stop you from checking calmly.
how do I unlock a real Amazon account safely
Go directly to amazon.com, sign in, and follow any prompt shown there. If nothing is wrong once you're in, the email was a fake.
If you already responded
- Change your Amazon password immediately at amazon.com and enable two-step verification.
- If you reused that password anywhere else, change it there too, since scammers try it across sites.
- Report the email at reportfraud.ftc.gov and delete it so you don't tap the link later.
Source: FTC, How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams
Hunch is not affiliated with Amazon. Amazon is named only to describe a scam that impersonates it; the real Amazon does not send these messages.