Amazon Sellers Are Being Hit By Hackers—Here’s What You Need To Know

If you see a deal that’s too good to be true on Amazon, it probably is.

The online retailer has been hit by hackers in recent weeks who are posting fake deals and stealing cash. The hackers target Amazon sellers by changing the seller’s bank-deposit information to their own, making off with tens of thousands of dollars.

They’ve also been hacking into the accounts of dormant Amazon sellers to offer deep discounts on fake merchandise.

These attacks likely won’t affect you because Amazon promises to refund your money if an item you purchase on the site never arrives. Still, it would be annoying to know that your money went to a hacker and that you won’t be getting the items you ordered.

Though Amazon doesn’t send your money to sellers until it’s sure you’ve received the item, some hackers are selecting four-week shipping in the hopes of getting paid before Amazon realizes you haven’t gotten your items.

You should be skeptical if a popular item is priced super low. You should also keep an eye out for a high number of negative reviews on a seller’s account or sellers that haven’t gotten a new review in months or years.

The hackers are using stolen email addresses and passwords, according to experts who spoke to the Wall Street Journal. Amazon is fighting back and says that sellers who have had money stolen will be made whole again.

“Hacking Amazon is becoming … increasingly a big deal,” Juozas Kaziukėnas, chief executive of Marketplace Pulse, told the newspaper. “The value to be gained is bigger as Amazon grows.”