Joanne Crissey’s Amazon account has been hijacked, her contact information is changed, and her gift card balance is drained. Now she’s locked out and getting nowhere with customer service. Is there a way out of this account recovery black hole?

Q: I’m reaching out because I’ve been stuck in an Amazon account recovery nightmare for over a month. I recently received two emails from Amazon saying that my mobile phone and email address had been updated. I didn't make either request. I was hacked. 

I’ve been calling Amazon’s customer service almost daily since then. While I finally got them to change my email back a few weeks ago, they still haven’t restored my phone number. Because of that, I can’t log in. 

Then, just a few days ago, I received a delivery notification for a package I didn't order. I can’t even see what was purchased or how it was paid for because I'm locked out. 

To make matters worse, I had a credit of $255 in gift cards on my account. Every time I call, the agents tell me they’re sending my information to the "escalation department" and that it will be resolved in 24 to 48 hours. It never is. 

I’m a senior citizen and this whole process has been incredibly frustrating. I just want my account reopened and to know how this happened. Can you help me? — Joanne Crissey, Tinley Park, Ill. 

A: When a customer reports a hacked account, Amazon should move quickly to verify their identity and restore access. A month is far too long to be stuck in a black hole of escalations. 

Amazon's account security policy is meant to protect you, but in this case the safeguards for the hacker became a barrier for the actual owner. 

You did the right thing by calling immediately and trying to establish a record of the unauthorized changes. But the phone isn't necessarily your friend when things go sideways.  For a problem like this, you need a paper trail. That way, when you hit a wall with front-line customer service, you can escalate the issue in writing to a manager. I list the contact information for Amazon on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. Reaching out to the executive customer service team often bypasses the loop you were stuck in. 

We’ve seen similar "locked out" cases with other platforms. These situations usually require a nudge from someone outside the standard support script. 

I contacted Amazon on your behalf. A representative from the executive customer service department called you shortly after. You report that she was "very apologetic" and completely restored access to your account, including your gift card balance.

Your case is an important reminder to never share passwords with anyone, including friends and family. Set up two-factor authentication for your important accounts. And also, don't click on any links to log in to an account like Amazon. Navigate to the site yourself. Otherwise, this could happen to you again.

 Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/