Amazon offers various account security notifications to help protect customer accounts from unauthorized access. These notifications alert customers about suspicious or unusual activity related to their Amazon account, such as login attempts from new devices or locations. Receiving these notifications allows customers to take quick action to secure their account if any unauthorized access attempts occur.
This article will provide an overview of the different account security notifications Amazon sends to customers, including sign-in, password reset, failed login attempt, and other unusual activity notifications. It will cover notification frequency, customization options, and additional security features like multi-factor authentication that complement account notifications.
Account Sign-In Notifications
Amazon sends out account sign-in notification emails whenever someone signs into your Amazon account from a new device or browser [1]. This is part of Amazon’s security measures to alert you of any unusual activity and allow you to take action if it was unauthorized.
The sign-in notification email will specify the device and location used to sign in. It will also provide a link to easily secure your account if the sign-in attempt was unauthorized. You can click on “This wasn’t me” to initiate additional security protocols like resetting your password.
By default, Amazon sends sign-in notification emails when a new device or browser accesses your account. You can customize these notifications in your account settings. Amazon recommends keeping the notifications on so that you stay informed whenever someone tries accessing your account [2].
Unusual Activity Notifications
Amazon sends out notifications to alert customers about any unusual activity detected on their account. This includes logins from new devices, password changes, shipping address changes, and high-risk transactions [1]. The notifications provide details about the activity and when it occurred so customers can quickly identify any unauthorized access.
If the activity was unauthorized, Amazon recommends customers change their password immediately and enable two-factor authentication for added security. They also advise reporting any suspicious emails, calls or messages pretending to be from Amazon [2]. This allows Amazon to investigate potential phishing attempts or scams targeting customers.
By notifying customers of unusual account activity, Amazon enables them to take swift action to secure their account if it has been compromised. The notifications provide transparency into account access and changes, alerting customers to any suspicious behavior.
Password Reset Notifications
Amazon sends notifications when someone attempts to reset your password. This security alert is sent to the email associated with your Amazon account to notify you of the password reset attempt. The email will come from “[email protected]” with the subject line “Amazon: Password Assistance Requested.”
The email will inform you that someone requested to reset your Amazon password and provide you with steps to take if this was not you. It recommends immediately changing your password and checking your account for unauthorized charges or other suspicious activity (source).
If you did not initiate the password reset, Amazon suggests selecting the “This was not me” option in the email notification. This will take you through a process to change your password and secure the account. Amazon may also prompt you to set up two-factor authentication for additional security.
However, if you did request the password reset and are expecting the email, you can simply select the provided link and follow the instructions to create a new password. Just be aware that this notification is automatically sent out whenever someone tries to reset your Amazon password, as an account security measure.
Failed Login Attempt Notifications
Amazon will send you a notification if someone repeatedly tries and fails to log in to your account. This is to alert you of potential unauthorized access attempts.
Specifically, Amazon will notify you if there are multiple failed login attempts from an unrecognized device or location. This notification will come via email or SMS text message, depending on your notification settings.
The notification will indicate the number of failed attempts and the location they originated from. It will prompt you to take action by resetting your password if you did not authorize the attempts. Resetting your password prevents further unauthorized access.
These notifications provide an important security alert so you can take steps to secure your account if suspicious activity is detected. Having your password reset links the account to a new password that the unauthorized person does not have access to.
You can view recent failed sign-in attempts on the “Secure Your Account” page in Amazon account settings. This allows you to monitor suspicious activity. For more details see: Amazon Account Security
Turning Notifications On/Off
You can easily turn transactional email notifications on or off in your Amazon account settings. This allows you to customize which types of notifications you receive.
To update your preferences:
- Go to Your Account and select “Login & Security”.
- Under “Login notifications and alerts”, click “Edit” next to the notification you want to change.
- Toggle the slider on or off depending on if you want to receive that notification.
Some of the key notifications you can enable or disable include:
- Order updates – get emails when items ship, deliver, have issues, etc.
- Delivery notifications – receive estimated delivery dates and status changes.
- Password change or reset notifications – get alerts if your password is changed.
- Login attempt notifications – be notified if someone tries accessing your account.
You can also update your preferences in the Notifications section of Your Account. Make sure to save any changes once you’ve customized your settings.
Notification Frequency
Amazon sends security notifications on an as-needed basis whenever suspicious activity is detected on your account. They do not send notifications according to a set schedule, but rather in real time when potential unauthorized access attempts occur. This allows Amazon to alert you right away if someone is trying to log in, reset your password, or otherwise access your account information.
You can expect to receive security notifications immediately any time an unrecognized device or location tries to sign in to your account. Amazon also sends prompt notifications when important account changes are made, like updating your payment methods or email address. The faster you are notified about suspicious activity, the quicker you can take action to secure your account.
According to Amazon’s help documentation, you will receive time-sensitive one-time passwords via email or text that are only valid for 10 minutes when logging in from unrecognized devices. This ensures you are notified frequently and in a timely manner during potentially unauthorized access attempts [1].
Multi-Factor Authentication
Amazon offers Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) as an optional added layer of security for Amazon accounts, including Seller Central accounts (1). MFA requires users to provide two forms of identification when logging in – something they know (like a password) and something they have (like a code sent to their phone) (2). This makes it much harder for unauthorized users to access accounts, even if they manage to obtain the password somehow.
When MFA is enabled, users will need to enter their password as usual, and then a unique 6-digit verification code is sent to their phone via text message or voice call (3). This code must be entered within 30 seconds to complete the login. Without access to the user’s phone, an unauthorized person cannot complete the login process.
MFA prevents most unauthorized access by requiring this extra step. Even if a password is compromised, the account remains secure. Turning on MFA is highly recommended by Amazon for any account containing sensitive or valuable information.
(1) https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/amazon-multi-factor-authentication-for-aws-accounts/
(2) https://sagemailer.com/blog/how-to-protect-your-seller-central-account-with-two-factor-authentication/
(3) https://logmeonce.com/resources/amazon-mfa/
Other Security Features
Amazon offers additional security features to help protect your account (Amazon Web Services: Overview of Security Processes). These include:
- Automatic alerts about attempted password changes or deletions of AWS access keys
- AWS CloudTrail log monitoring to track API calls and help detect suspicious activity
- AWS Config to assess security configurations and track configuration changes
- Amazon GuardDuty threat detection service to identify potential threats like unusual API calls or potentially unauthorized deployments
By linking your Amazon account to eero WiFi systems, you also gain added security through Amazon’s multi-factor authentication and alerts about suspicious logins or security issues (Using your Amazon Login with eero).
Conclusion
In summary, Amazon sends various notifications to help keep your account secure. These include:
- Account sign-in notifications that alert you whenever your account is accessed from a new device.
- Unusual activity notifications that inform you of suspicious login attempts or password changes.
- Password reset notifications confirming valid password resets.
- Failed login attempt notifications warning about multiple failed logins.
You can turn notifications on or off in your account settings. Amazon typically sends real-time alerts for urgent security issues, while summary notifications may be sent daily or weekly.
Using multi-factor authentication and other security features like one-time passwords can further help to secure your Amazon account.
Overall, Amazon provides various account notifications to help users monitor account access and identify any suspicious activity requiring attention.
