What To Do If Someone Bought Something on Amazon With Your Card in 2024

Finding an unauthorized purchase on your Amazon account can be alarming. But don‘t worry – this unfortunately happens more often than you may think. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to resolve the issue and secure your account. This comprehensive 2800+ word guide will walk you through exactly what to do if someone used your credit or debit card to buy items on Amazon without your permission.

Someone Bought Something on Amazon With My Card – What Should I Do?

You go to check your Amazon order history and spot an order for wireless headphones you never bought. Or you notice a $500 camera lens shipping to an address you don‘t recognize. Discovering a fraudulent purchase made with your credit or debit card on Amazon is scary – but it does happen.

In 2022 alone, over 75 million Americans fell victim to credit card fraud. With Amazon being the #1 destination for online shopping, they are frequently targeted by scammers hoping to use stolen card details to make purchases. But thankfully, Amazon provides ways for savvy shoppers like yourself to report and track down these unauthorized transactions.

This detailed guide will outline steps you can take if you find strange orders on your Amazon account, including:

How to identify unauthorized Amazon purchases
What information Amazon can provide about fraudulent orders
How Amazon investigates and refunds fraudulent activity
Steps to take to secure your Amazon account
Tips to choose safe payment options and prevent future fraud

We‘ll uncover pro tips so you can spot "fake" orders, work with Amazon to resolve the issue, protect your account going forward, and continue shopping safely. Let‘s get started!

How to Check Your Amazon Order History for Unauthorized Purchases

If you suspect someone has gotten ahold of your credit or debit card and used it to order from Amazon, the first step is to carefully check your Amazon order history.

Log in to your Amazon account through the website or mobile app and go to Your Orders. You can also choose View Order History from the menu next to Account & Lists.

Scan through your full order history looking for any potential signs of unauthorized purchases:

Items you didn‘t order – The most obvious red flag. If you see an order for a product you know you didn‘t purchase, it likely indicates fraud.
Unfamiliar shipping address – Legitimate orders will ship to an address you know and recognize. Watch for items sent to a name and street address you don‘t recognize.
Multiple smaller orders – Fraudsters often make several smaller purchases hoping to fly under the radar instead of one obvious big ticket item.
Digital purchases – Ebooks, online video rentals and other digital orders won‘t have a shipping address. These "invisible" sales are appealing to scammers.
High value electronics/gifts – Big ticket items like laptops, smart watches and luxury goods are tempting targets for fraudsters.
Third party sellers – Unauthorized orders more commonly come from Amazon‘s third party Marketplace sellers rather than Amazon directly.

Here are two examples of orders that would raise red flags:

An order for a $229 DSLR bundle sold by ABC Camera Shipping to John Smith at 123 Oak Street, Portland, OR – an address you don‘t know.
Three ebook purchases on the same day ranging from $1.99 to $4.99 – small amounts but clearly not titles you chose.

If anything looks amiss, it‘s time to take action. Amazon has systems in place to investigate suspicious activity and transactions.

Amazon Cannot Identify Who Used Your Card, But Can Provide Order Details

Unfortunately, Amazon cannot pinpoint exactly who used your credit or debit card number to place fraudulent orders. When customers checkout, the only information they must provide is a valid payment method – no photo ID, account password, or other identifying details are required. So Amazon does not collect enough personal information on buyers to determine identities.

However, Amazon does capture plenty of key details on every order that can help you investigate:

Date and time of transaction – Know exactly when the fraudulent purchase occurred.
Order total – The amount that was charged to your account.
Items purchased – Details like product name, quantity, size, color etc.
Seller name – Especially important if ordered from a third party seller rather than Amazon.
Shipping address – Where the physical items were sent if any were ordered.
Email address – Can provide clues if the scammer created a separate Amazon account.
IP and device details – Indicates the general geographic location and device type used to place the order.

When you contact Amazon customer service to report unauthorized charges, they can look up and provide you with specifics on all orders in question. Having these key details in hand will aid your investigation and dispute.

How Amazon Investigates Potentially Fraudulent Activity

Amazon has dedicated tools and processes in place to detect and stop fraudulent activity as quickly as possible. Their key fraud investigation methods include:

Address Verification – Amazon verifies that the billing address submitted matches the credit or debit card number used for all orders. This makes it harder for scammers to use stolen payment details.

Fraud Prevention Team – A global team of Amazon staffers focus 100% on identifying suspicious transactions and preventing account compromise. In 2021 alone, this team stopped over $2 billion in potential fraud.

Account Restrictions – Amazon may limit activities like new account creation and purchases from users associated with fraudulent orders. These restrictions remain until the issue is resolved.

Purchase Controls – Account holders have options to further secure their profile like requiring one-time passcodes to checkout or limiting locations where the card can be used.

A-to-z Guarantee – Amazon promises a full refund to any customer victimized by fraud. This gives shoppers confidence when buying.

Even with these protections, fraud still occasionally occurs. When it does, Amazon‘s investigative teams take over and provide support to affected customers.

Who Should You Contact About Unauthorized Amazon Purchases?

If you spot any suspicious orders or activity you know you didn‘t authorize, take the following steps to report it and initiate an investigation:

1. Contact Amazon Customer Service

Your first call should be to the Amazon customer support team. You can reach them:

By Phone: 866-216-1075
Via Online Chat: Go to the Contact Us page on Amazon.com

When connected to a support rep, clearly explain that you found unauthorized charges on your account. Provide order numbers and details on the specific purchases you know are fraudulent.

Amazon will begin an investigation, cancel any remaining orders, and assist you through their fraud claim process. Having details on the suspicious transactions ready will make this easier.

2. Notify Your Credit Card Company

You should also contact the bank or company that issued the credit or debit card connected to the unauthorized Amazon purchases.

Alert them that your card number was compromised and used to make one or more fraudulent transactions. They will cancel your current card and provide a replacement with a new number.

The credit card company can also assist disputing the charges with Amazon directly and potentially refunding you the lost amounts more quickly.

3. Review Account Security

Take time when you can to update passwords and security settings across your online accounts, recommendations include:

Change Amazon password – Update your Amazon login credentials to a new, strong password that hasn‘t been used on other sites. This prevents scammers from reaccessing your account.
Enable two-factor authentication – Add an extra layer of security to your Amazon account via codes sent to your phone or authentication apps required at login.
Remove stored payment options – Don‘t save credit card details in your Amazon profile. Manually enter your number with each order.
Watch for phishing scams – Beware emails pretending to be from Amazon asking you to log in and "confirm" account details which could be fraudulent.

Taking these steps will help secure your Amazon account from additional misuse as you work to resolve the unauthorized charges.

Does Amazon Refund Fraudulent Purchases?

The good news is yes, Amazon will fully refund any purchase confirmed to be unauthorized. This assurance is part of their a-to-z guarantee that shoppers will be protected if victimized by fraud.

Here is how Amazon handles refunds for fraudulent transactions:

You report suspicious charges and Amazon begins an investigation to confirm validity. They review associated account activity for signals of compromise.
Once transactions are verified as fraudulent, Amazon will quickly reverse the charges so you are not responsible for the amounts. According to a Consumer Affairs survey, 85% of Amazon customers reported painless experiences receiving fraud refunds.
Any physical items that were fraudulently shipped will not need to be returned to Amazon. They cannot resell products involved in an account compromise.
Refunds are typically applied back to the original debit or credit card used on the orders. Processing time varies based on the card issuer – expect to see the credit within 1 to 2 billing cycles.
You will receive a confirmation email when the refund has fully processed. If you do not see the reversed charge after a billing cycle, follow up with Amazon for assistance.

By promptly reporting unauthorized activity when detected, Amazon promises shoppers will be reimbursed under their a-to-z protection policies. This provides peace of mind when shopping on the site.

Helpful Tips to Prevent Amazon Credit Card Fraud

While Amazon has effective systems to catch fraudsters, here are also smart tips you as a customer can take to better protect your account:

Monitor account activity – Log in frequently to review orders. Spotting unauthorized purchases quickly limits damage. Set up order alerts if available through your credit card.
Use one-time virtual card numbers – Many banks now offer temporary one-use card numbers you can generate for online shopping. These are linked to your account but can only be used for one transaction, then expire.
Never save full card details – Don‘t store your full credit card number or security code in your Amazon account profile. Manually enter it with each legitimate order.
Change passwords routinely – Use strong, unique passwords and update them every 60-90 days. Avoid reusing passwords between Amazon, email, and other shopping sites.
Enable two-step verification – Add extra login security via one-time passcodes or authentication apps. This prevents unauthorized logins even if your master password is compromised.
Watch out for phishing scams – Do not click suspicious links or provide account information if contacted by someone claiming to be Amazon support. These messages are almost always fraudulent.

Being cautious in protecting your account credentials and staying vigilant in regularly reviewing Amazon orders are the top ways to avoid credit card fraud. But if unauthorized charges do occur, act quickly using the steps in this guide to resolve the issue.

Let‘s Recap – What to Do if Someone Used Your Card on Amazon

Finding an unauthorized charge on your Amazon account is stressful. But thankfully, Amazon provides ways for savvy shoppers like you to track down suspicious activity and have fraudulent purchases refunded.

If you spot orders you didn‘t place, follow this game plan:

Review order history – Closely check for unfamiliar shipping addresses, digital downloads, and high value items.
Contact Amazon – Report unauthorized charges to their customer support team immediately and provide order details. Amazon will investigate and cancel future orders.
Notify your credit card company – Cancel your current card and request a new number be issued. Ask them to reverse any fraudulent transactions.
Secure your account – Change Amazon password, enable two-factor sign in, and watch for phishing scams going forward.
Get refunded – Amazon will confirm fraudulent purchases occurred and quickly refund your money, typically within 1-2 billing cycles.
Prevent future fraud – Monitor your order activity routinely, avoid saving card details, and use virtual numbers where possible.

While discovering your credit card was compromised is never fun, Amazon provides the tools to resolve unauthorized purchases quickly. Being proactive also reduces the risk of being targeted again. With the steps in this guide, you can shop Amazon securely now and into the future.