$12.5B
FTC-reported fraud losses in 2024
FTC says consumers reported losing $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024.
review-for-refund scheme scam
An Amazon seller contacts buyers after purchase and offers a full refund in exchange for a 5-star review, artificially inflating their product ratings.
“online shopping scam”
↑ 184%Key indicators
Usually targetsOnline shoppers
Often hitsFreelancers and contractors
Common regionUnited States
Last updated2026-04-04
Estimated impact
$640
median reported loss
Typical range$40 – $4.0K
Recovery rate~15%
Scam breakdown
1
After a customer buys a product, the seller contacts them outside of Amazon offering a full or partial refund.
2
The condition is that the customer posts a 5-star review and sends a screenshot as proof.
3
The refund may be paid via PayPal or gift card — but it also provides the seller with personal contact information.
What to do first
Decline the offer and report the seller to Amazon for review manipulation.
Related terms
refund-for-review scamseller bribe reviewpost-purchase review manipulationFake review scamsEmailSurgingOnline shoppersBargain shoppersFreelancers and contractorsSmall business ownersPayroll, HR, and finance teamsUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadarefund-for-review scamseller bribe review
Real-world example
How this scam plays out in practice
Based on reported patterns. Names and details are illustrative.
The setup
Fatima, 34, a online shoppers, encountered what appeared to be a legitimate fake review scams situation while using Email. After a customer buys a product, the seller contacts them outside of Amazon offering a full or partial refund.
Step 2
What happened next was calculated: The condition is that the customer posts a 5-star review and sends a screenshot as proof.
Step 3
The pressure escalated quickly: The refund may be paid via PayPal or gift card — but it also provides the seller with personal contact information.
The outcome
Fatima realized something was wrong when seller emails you separately from amazon offering a refund for a positive review. By that point, significant damage had already been done — money sent, personal information shared, or trust exploited.
The lesson
Decline the offer and report the seller to Amazon for review manipulation. Fatima's experience shows why seller emails you separately from amazon offering a refund for a positive review and the offer instructs you not to mention the refund in your review are the clearest early warning signs.
How to identify it
- Seller emails you separately from Amazon offering a refund for a positive review
- The offer instructs you not to mention the refund in your review
- Contact comes through a personal email rather than Amazon's messaging system
- Pause before paying, clicking, or sharing information. Scammers rely on speed.
- Verify the sender, company, or agency using a phone number or website you already know is legitimate.
- Treat secrecy, urgency, and off-platform payment requests as strong scam signals.
What to do now
- ✓Decline the offer and report the seller to Amazon for review manipulation.
- ✓Do not provide personal email or PayPal details to unknown sellers.
- ✓Write honest reviews based on your actual experience with the product.
What to save before reporting
- ✓Save the message, profile, phone number, email, or URL that was used.
- ✓Keep payment confirmations, receipts, and account alerts before you dispute or delete anything.
- ✓Write down the timeline while the details are still fresh.
- ✓Keep the full sender address, domain, attachments, and—if possible—the raw email headers.
How big is this problem
You are not alone — this scam affects millions of people.
These numbers come from government agencies and official reports. If you have been affected, know that this is a widespread problem — not something that only happens to careless people.
FTC 2024 fraud losses
Imposters
Most common FTC fraud category in 2024
FTC says imposter scams remained the most commonly reported fraud category in 2024.
History and evolution
- This scam family tends to persist because the social-engineering pressure works even when the exact scripts, platforms, and payment methods change.
- The specific packaging evolves over time, but the core pattern usually stays the same: create urgency, control the channel, and push action before verification.
- Amazon reported removing over 200 million suspected fake reviews in 2022 and continues to pursue legal action against review manipulation services.
Recovery and follow-up
- ✓Save the messages, receipts, account alerts, and transaction details before you block or delete anything.
- ✓Report the scam through the official platform or government channel that best matches where it happened.
- ✓Decline the offer and report the seller to Amazon for review manipulation.
- ✓Do not provide personal email or PayPal details to unknown sellers.
- ✓Write honest reviews based on your actual experience with the product.
Why this pattern keeps working
Even when the story changes, most scams still use the same pressure pattern: urgency, authority, and a request to move money or data fast.
Amazon reported removing over 200 million suspected fake reviews in 2022 and continues to pursue legal action against review manipulation services.
OpenScam research
Where to report it
If you have been targeted by this scam, reporting it helps authorities track the pattern and protect others. United States has dedicated agencies that handle fraud reports.
ReportFraud.gov
Federal Trade Commission
Central U.S. consumer fraud reporting portal.
File an IC3 complaint
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
FBI portal for internet-enabled crime reports.
Start identity theft recovery
IdentityTheft.gov
Official U.S. identity theft recovery plan builder.
Explore further
Understand the bigger picture
Who is most at risk
Who this scam targets
Primary targets
Online shoppers, Bargain shoppers
Geographic concentration
United States, United Kingdom, Canada
Primary channel
Email — Fake review scams
Why this group is vulnerable
Online shoppers are particularly vulnerable because this scam exploits trust in familiar brands, authority figures, and time-sensitive decisions. The rapid increase in reports suggests that awareness among this demographic remains low.
Sources and methodology
How we verify this information
OpenScam tracks scam patterns using a combination of government consumer protection databases (FTC, IC3, Action Fraud), platform-specific fraud reports, and verified consumer complaint data. Each entry is cross-referenced against at least two independent sources before publication.
Severity ratings are based on financial impact potential, reversibility of damage, and volume of reports across multiple reporting channels. Trend velocity reflects the rate of change in report volume over the most recent 90-day window.
This page was last verified on 2026-04-04. Red flags, recovery steps, and reporting resources are reviewed quarterly against current agency guidance.
Evidence and indicators
- Amazon reported removing over 200 million suspected fake reviews in 2022 and continues to pursue legal action against review manipulation services.
Source notes
- OpenScam research
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about review-for-refund scheme scam
How does the review-for-refund scheme scam work?+
After a customer buys a product, the seller contacts them outside of Amazon offering a full or partial refund. The condition is that the customer posts a 5-star review and sends a screenshot as proof. The refund may be paid via PayPal or gift card — but it also provides the seller with personal contact information.
What are the warning signs of review-for-refund scheme scam?+
Seller emails you separately from Amazon offering a refund for a positive review The offer instructs you not to mention the refund in your review Contact comes through a personal email rather than Amazon's messaging system
What should I do if I encounter review-for-refund scheme scam?+
Decline the offer and report the seller to Amazon for review manipulation. Do not provide personal email or PayPal details to unknown sellers. Write honest reviews based on your actual experience with the product.
Who is most at risk for review-for-refund scheme scam?+
This scam primarily targets Online shoppers, Bargain shoppers. It is most commonly reported in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and typically appears on Email.
Is review-for-refund scheme scam getting worse?+
review-for-refund scheme scam is currently surging — reports are increasing rapidly. It has been reported across US, UK. Last updated 2026-04-04.
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Help someone avoid this scam.
Scammers succeed because people do not talk about it. If you or someone you know has been affected, there is no shame in it — it happens to millions of people every year. Share this page with friends and family so they know what to look for.