# Someone hacked my Amazon.com account **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 24, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514 "2011-02-24T22:59:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hilary\_Algar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilary_algar/32/4282_2.png) [@Hilary\_Algar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilary_Algar)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/1 "2011-02-24T22:59:45Z")
So my [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) account was hacked. I was browsing my junk mail folder of my hotmail account today for no apparent reason and noticed an email from Amazon stating that a $500 digital camera that “I” had purchased had returned undeliverable and that “my” AmEx account would be credited. But I didn’t buy that camera. So I logged onto my Amazon account and amazingly enough the perpetrator had not changed the password. I changed the password to a much stronger one immediately. The perp bought about $2,000 worth of electronics and shipped them all to an address (unknown to me) in New Jersey, all on Feb. 15th. Even more amazingly, the perp did not use my own credit card that I had on account at Amazon. He charged the goods to a seemingly bogus American Express card in my name, but it was not my card. I am so lucky. He could have easily ripped me off using my own credit card. I have since deleted my credit card from my Amazon account. Amazon customer service indicates that I will have to delete the card from my account immediately after every time I buy something there because the default is to store the credit card account number. I’ve checked my credit card for any suspicious charges but nothing has come up. Because Amazon shows only the last four digits of my credit card, I’m guessing the only thing he could charge to my credit card would be to Amazon. Right? I spoke to my credit card company and American Express and they said everything should be okay but to check my credit report for any suspicious accounts. They also tried to sell me a service for $12.00 a month alerting me anytime anyone applies for credit in my name. Seems like a rip-off because I don’t know how the perp could get my SSN and birth date just by hacking my Amazon account. Any advice and anyone else’s similar experiences would be welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/2 "2011-02-24T23:36:17Z")
> [@](#): > > I spoke to my credit card company and American Express and they said everything should be okay but to check my credit report for any suspicious accounts. They also tried to sell me a service for $12.00 a month alerting me anytime anyone applies for credit in my name. The credit agencies provide this service for free, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/3 "2011-02-25T00:18:06Z")
He probably couldn’t charge anything using your credit card, even at Amazon. I just sent a friend some books, and Amazon made me re-enter all my credit card details, because I was having stuff shipped to a new address. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/4 "2011-02-25T00:22:01Z")
> [@eclectic\_wench](#): > > He probably couldn’t charge anything using your credit card, even at Amazon. I just sent a friend some books, and Amazon made me re-enter all my credit card details, because I was having stuff shipped to a new address. This. I just sent my friend a three wolf moon shirt (WHAT?) and because it wasn’t one of my on file addresses, I had to reenter everything. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/5 "2011-02-25T00:25:39Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > This. I just sent my friend a three wolf moon shirt (WHAT?) and because it wasn’t one of my on file addresses, I had to reenter everything. Friends don’t let friends wear wolf t-shirts! ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/6 "2011-02-25T00:26:56Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > This. I just sent my friend a three wolf moon shirt (WHAT?) and because it wasn’t one of my on file addresses, I had to reenter everything. Your friend is about to become the sexiest person in town. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/7 "2011-02-25T00:27:48Z")
I hope they cancelled your Amex and are going to reissue you a new number. There’s no reason not to get a new number just to be safe. It most likely was a way of using a stolen credit card and connecting it to a legit person. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/8 "2011-02-25T00:28:10Z")
Did you log into Amazon by going to [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com), or by clicking a link on that e-mail that you received? Because it kinda sounds like a phishing e-mail, designed to make you log in to a fake Amazon site and give away your password. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/9 "2011-02-25T00:40:28Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Friends don’t let friends wear wolf t-shirts! I actually bought myself one earlier today (for the lulz, naturally) and she mentioned how she wished she had one. Then, a bit later, she found out her grandpa was entering hospice today. So, yeah, I overnighted her something that’ll hopefully make her smile tomorrow. It’s worth it, I tells ya! > [@interface2x](#): > > Your friend is about to become the sexiest person in town. Second to me. Wait, we live in different towns, so it’s all good. ---
**Author:** ![Hilary\_Algar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilary_algar/32/4282_2.png) [@Hilary\_Algar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilary_Algar)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/10 "2011-02-25T00:46:31Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Did you log into Amazon by going to [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com), or by clicking a link on that e-mail that you received? Because it kinda sounds like a phishing e-mail, designed to make you log in to a fake Amazon site and give away your password. Good call, but in fact I did log in to Amazon by going to [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com). Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Hilary\_Algar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilary_algar/32/4282_2.png) [@Hilary\_Algar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilary_Algar)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/11 "2011-02-25T00:48:51Z")
> [@eclectic\_wench](#): > > He probably couldn’t charge anything using your credit card, even at Amazon. I just sent a friend some books, and Amazon made me re-enter all my credit card details, because I was having stuff shipped to a new address. Good call! So that’s why he didn’t use my credit card. I feel better already. Thank You! ---
**Author:** ![Hilary\_Algar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilary_algar/32/4282_2.png) [@Hilary\_Algar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilary_Algar)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/12 "2011-02-25T00:50:27Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > It most likely was a way of using a stolen credit card and connecting it to a legit person. Well, I think you’ve hit that one right on the head–that’s probably exactly what happened. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/13 "2011-02-25T01:19:37Z")
[The Consumerist blog](http://consumerist.com/2011/01/old-amazon-passwords-have-big-security-flaw.html) had a warning a couple of weeks ago about a flaw in Amazon’s password system: > [@](#): > > Some old Amazon account appear to have a flaw in their password protection scheme that makes them more vulnerable to a brute force cracking attempt. For affected accounts, if you haven’t changed your password in several years, and it’s over 8 characters long, it looks like all people have to do is enter the first 8 characters correctly and they’re in. Even if after the 8 characters they just type gobbledygook. > > So if your password was “PASSWORDSCHOOL” it will accept “PASSWORDdf234243” or “PASSWORDsputnik” etc. I haven’t seen any update as to whether or not Amazon has addressed this issue, but I changed my password anyway, to be safe. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-hacked-my-amazon-com-account/572514/14 "2011-02-25T01:29:04Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > I actually bought myself one earlier today (for the lulz, naturally) and she mentioned how she wished she had one. Then, a bit later, she found out her grandpa was entering hospice today. So, yeah, I overnighted her something that’ll hopefully make her smile tomorrow. It’s worth it, I tells ya! > > Second to me. Wait, we live in different towns, so it’s all good. I prefer the Three Rowlf Moon T-shirt. > **[Three Rowlf Moon](https://www.buzzfeed.com/dinoi/three-rowlf-moon-dj0)** > > 3 rowlf moon...because its a meme that will never die.