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Amazon customer service representatives this weekend have been inundated with inquiries from customers who received perplexing email confirmations about unauthorized gift card purchases.
Several customers on social media reported receiving three consecutive emails, some on Saturday night and others on Sunday morning, thanking them for purchases of Google Play, Mastercard, and Hotels.com gift cards that they never made.
An Amazon customer service representative assured customers that the company is investigating the cause of the erroneous emails but confirmed that their accounts are secure, and they can disregard the messages.
“Dear Amazon customer,” read one of the emails. “Thank you for purchasing Google Play gift cards from Amazon.com.”
The emails also included a warning about gift card scams: “There are various scams in which fraudsters attempt to trick people into paying with gift cards from reputable brands.”
A screenshot of one of the false emails sent to multiple Amazon customers, confirming unauthorized gift card purchases.
Photo courtesy of Dan Mangan.
The emails left customers perplexed and worried that hackers had gained access to their financial information and made fraudulent gift card purchases.
“Thanks for the early morning heart attack, Amazon. Who needs caffeine?” one user wrote on Facebook after receiving the misleading emails.
On Sunday morning, Amazon’s customer service received three consecutive calls about the email issue, with an automated message indicating longer wait times in the phone queue.
“We currently don’t have further information regarding the email, but please be assured that we are actively investigating the cause,” said another customer service representative. “I sincerely apologize to all customers who received this email and were alarmed. Rest assured, all our accounts are secure, and for now, we advise you to disregard the message.”
A Reddit user shared that an Amazon representative explained the mishap as “poorly worded emails intended to warn customers about potential scams.”
An Amazon spokesperson did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
— Reporting contributed by CNBC’s Dan Mangan.
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