Fake product recall notices are the latest scam targeting consumers: ‘Something seemed fishy’

Consumer Reports is warning of a new kind of scam — phony recall notices.

Recall notices warn consumers of potential safety risks on products such as kitchen appliances, baby products, child car seats, and so on.

Taylor Frost Smith, a mom of three, was recently targeted by one of these scams, Consumer Reports reported, via AZ Family.

Smith received a text that claimed to be an Amazon Product Recall Notice for an item she bought in December.

“I frequently buy all different kinds of things at all hours of the night, having three little kids. I love Amazon,” she said.

“I also am very diligent to register my products because if there is a recall, I really want to know about it.”

The message prompted her to click the link provided to review details and refund options — but Smith recognized that “something seemed fishy.”

“First thing I noticed is that it’s only for 18 people from Amazon, and I started thinking, what is this?” she said.

Instead of clicking on anything sent in the message, Smith went directly to the Amazon app, plugged in the order number, and asked the retailer’s AI tool, Rufus, if there was a recall.

Amazon confirmed to her that there was no recall — and told her that she received a phishing scam.

Scammers are hoping that customers will click on the link sent to them and enter their personal information, which they can then steal.

Consumer Reports advised not to respond to these messages or click on any links. If you receive a recall notice, you should always go directly to the app or website where you purchased the product and see if there’s a recall notice.

Amazon, as well as many online marketplaces, has a page that lists the latest recalls and product safety alerts.

Another way to check for recalls is to visit recalls.gov or the Consumer Product Safety Commission at CPSC.gov.

If you registered a product, you should receive an email or a letter in the mail with a recall notice and instructions on what to do.

According to the 2025 Cyber Readiness Report, published in October, text message scam attempts have increased by 50% in the past year.

The report found that 30% of those who encountered a digital scam said it started with a text or a message app — up 20% from the year before — and the increase was most notable in 18- to 29-year-olds.

“Gen Z is falling victim to record levels of text scams due to three colliding trends,” Jason Dorsey, president and lead Gen Z researcher at the Center for Generational Kinetics, explained in the report.

“First, texting is their primary communication channel, with hundreds of daily messages creating a perfect opening for scammers. Second, they tend to be in large group messaging threads with unknown contacts, making it easy to mistake a scammer’s number for a friend’s number.

“Third, they have less experience spotting scams but instant access to money on their phones, reducing friction for scams to succeed. For many, especially with small-dollar scams, the experience has become so common that it feels almost normal!”

Scams tend to peak this time of year, too, with tax season approaching — and the Internal Revenue Service is warning taxpayers about scammers out to rip you off.

Like with most frauds, swindlers will often send emails, direct messages and texts that appear to be from the IRS, often containing scary language and QR codes or links.

The IRS warns against clicking on any links or opening attachments from unexpected messages.