In the first hour after an Amazon.com account takeover, regain sign-in, change the password, turn on Two-Step Verification, cancel bad orders, and remove strange payment methods and addresses. Do this on amazon.com yourself — not from a link in a text or email claiming the account is locked. This is separate from credit-card fraud first-hour. You do not need to buy antivirus.

Minute 0–10: Get back in and change the password

Sign in only through amazon.com or the official Amazon Shopping app. Avoid unexpected account-locked emails and fake delivery texts.

If you can sign in

  1. Open Your Account → Login & Security.
  2. Next to Password, select Edit.
  3. Set a unique password, then Save.
  4. Confirm the email and phone on the account are still yours.

If you cannot sign in and 2SV is blocking

  1. Try a registered backup method or a trusted device first.
  2. If that fails, use Amazon Two-Step Verification Account Recovery. Identity review can take 1–2 days.
  3. Do not invent phone numbers.

Minute 10–30: Turn on Two-Step Verification

Two-Step Verification adds a second check so a stolen password is not enough.

  1. In Your Account, select Login & security.
  2. Enable Two-Step Verification and follow the on-screen steps.
  3. Prefer an authenticator app over SMS. Keep a backup method.
  4. Pair this with 2FA on the email that can reset Amazon.

Minute 30–50: Orders, addresses, and payment methods

  1. Your Orders: cancel unshipped fraud. Use Order Details and the cancel option Amazon still offers on that shipment.
  2. Your Payments: open unknown cards and select Remove from wallet. Removing a card does not auto-fix open orders — change those orders separately if Amazon still lets you.
  3. Review shipping addresses and delete any you did not add.
  4. If a card was charged, also follow credit-card fraud first-hour / bank dispute. This page will not invent Amazon phone scripts.

Minute 50–60: Report the scam and lock related logins

  1. Use Amazon's Report a scam help page. Email suspicious messages as attachments to reportascam@amazon.com.
  2. File at the FTC: reportfraud.ftc.gov.
  3. Change the email password if the inbox looks suspicious; check whether that email was in a data breach.
  4. Review Login with Amazon third-party apps and remove anything you do not recognize.

FAQ

What is the first step if my Amazon account is hacked?

amazon.com or the official app, then password, then Two-Step Verification, then cancel unshipped fraud orders and remove unknown payments. Do not use a link from a locked-account text.

Where do I turn on Amazon Two-Step Verification?

Your Account → Login & security. Prefer an authenticator app over SMS. Keep a backup method.

I cannot get past Two-Step Verification. What now?

Backup method or trusted device first, then Amazon Two-Step Verification Account Recovery. Review can take 1–2 days. Do not invent phone numbers.

Do I need to buy antivirus after an Amazon takeover?

No. Microsoft Defender is a valid buy-nothing choice for many Windows PCs. This is an account-recovery hour, not a reason to buy a suite.

Is this the same as credit-card fraud?

No. Use credit-card fraud first-hour if a card was charged. This page is the Amazon.com login takeover.

An Amazon account takeover does not require paid antivirus. Microsoft Defender is a valid buy-nothing choice for many Windows households. Habits that actually help are: sign in only at amazon.com, a unique password, Two-Step Verification, canceling fraud orders, and 2FA on the recovery email. If the household later wants multi-device paid protection, use only these on-site paid links: TotalAV, Norton, Bitdefender, McAfee, Avast.