Alert : Fake Amazon, Zalando, AliExpress refunds – the “blocked refund” email trap

Recently, a scam has been impersonating online retail platforms: an email announces that a refund is “blocked” or “pending” and demands immediate action.
Stay vigilant: here is how to spot it and avoid the traps.

Fake refunds from e-commerce platforms (Amazon, Zalando, AliExpress…)

The message is designed to make you believe that a legitimate refund cannot be completed without your confirmation.

How it works

Scammers send an email that looks like an official notification, often after sales periods or return periods, to make it seem credible.
Their aim is to push you to click a link and enter your login details or banking information, or even to “pay” fictitious fees in order to trigger the refund.
Warning signs : urgent tone (“last chance”), link that does not point to the real domain, mistakes or strange wording, request for bank card details for a refund, unexpected attachment, email that does not appear in your customer account.

A few tips:

• 🔐 Do not click: sign in directly through the official app or website instead (by typing the address yourself).
• 🧾 Check your order / return history in your customer account.
• 🧩 Enable two-factor authentication on your e-commerce account.
• 📩 Report the email as phishing and delete it.
• 💳 If you entered your details, contact your bank immediately and change your passwords.

Conclusion

A refund never requires “fees” or validation through a link received in a suspicious message.
If in doubt, use only the official customer area and report the attempt.
See our guide Fraud, Scams and Cons: How to Protect Yourself and React! if you have already clicked.
Useful links: GOV.UK (UK) | NCSC (UK) | ReportFraud.ftc.gov (US) | FBI IC3 (US)

To make things easier, we have gathered a selection of practical tools:

• 👉 An interactive guide for fraud victims
• 👉 An interactive guide for reporting fraud
• 👉 An interactive scam simulator
• 👉 A suspicious URL analysis tool

Written by : René Ronse
Methodology : Our alert articles are based on regular monitoring of national reporting platforms, feedback from victims, and statements issued by relevant authorities.
About the author : René Ronse, manager of ArnaqueOuFiable.com. Expert in consumer cybersecurity, specialist in detecting online fraud, product transparency, and digital compliance. He has over 20 years of experience analyzing hidden subscription mechanisms, unreadable terms and conditions, aggressive sales tactics, and deceptive commercial practices on the web.
Sources : houstonchronicle.com | dnsbelgium.be | cm.be | wikipedia.org
Last updated : 16 May 2026.
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