Over the weekend, Amazon found itself inundated with inquiries from perplexed customers who had received unexpected email confirmations for gift card purchases they never made. The emails, which were sent out in batches on Saturday night and Sunday morning, left many Amazon patrons puzzled and concerned about potential security breaches.

Customers reported receiving multiple emails, each expressing gratitude for their supposed purchases of Google Play, Mastercard, and Hotels [.com] gift cards, despite having made no such transactions.

Amazon swiftly addressed the issue, attributing it to a system glitch. An Amazon spokesperson acknowledged the error, stating, “An error in our system resulted in an order confirmation email being sent to customers who did not purchase a gift card. We are emailing these customers to inform them of the error and apologize for the inconvenience.” Customers who received the erroneous emails were assured that no further action on their part was required.

Ironically, within the misleading confirmation emails, there was a paragraph cautioning users about gift card scams, adding to the confusion. Some customers expressed concerns that their financial information had been compromised, leading to unauthorized gift card purchases.

The incident prompted a flood of reactions on social media platforms, with one user humorously remarking, “Thanks for the early AM heart attack, Amazon. Who needs caffeine?” Amazon’s customer service lines also experienced increased traffic, with one representative confirming three consecutive calls related to the email issue. The automated customer service system noted “longer than normal wait times” for phone support.

Despite the initial alarm, Amazon reassured its customers that their accounts remained secure. A customer service representative explained the situation to a Reddit user as “poorly worded emails intended to warn customers about potential scams.“

As Amazon addresses this hiccup, shoppers can look forward to the upcoming “Prime Big Deal Days” event, scheduled for October 10th through the 11th.