Alexa can verify suspected Amazon scam messages
Amazon has expanded its Alexa for Shopping assistant so it can verify whether an email, text message or phone call claiming to be from the company is genuine, in an effort to counter impersonation scams. Users can ask the AI assistant about a suspicious message and it will check it against Amazon's own records of communications it has sent, while also analysing the content, formatting and sender, only confirming authenticity when it is "completely certain".
If the assistant cannot confirm a message is genuine, it advises customers to check their orders directly in the Amazon app and to contact official support rather than respond to the message. This builds on an earlier tool letting users forward suspect messages to a dedicated "[email protected]" address, and follows other recent additions to Alexa for Shopping, including an "Update Me When" feature for tracking new product releases.
In short
- Alexa for Shopping can now check if messages are genuinely from Amazon
- Feature aims to combat impersonation and phishing scams
- Adds to existing "[email protected]" forwarding tool launched earlier this year
Explained simply
Impersonation scams involve messages or calls that pretend to come from a trusted company, often to trick people into sharing information or making payments. Amazon customers may receive genuine updates about orders and accounts, so it can be difficult to tell real contact from a fake.
Amazon is an online retailer, and Alexa is its voice assistant. Its shopping tools draw on Amazon’s records and services; the company’s official app and support channels are ways for customers to check account or order issues. Scam messages can affect trust in online shopping and expose people to financial or personal information risks.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Amazon’s AI assistant can now spot fake emails from the company”.