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KDP safety

KDP scams: recognize the fake calls, fake publishers, and paid promotion traps.

"Is this a scam?" appears in the KDP community every week. Most scams use the same two moves: urgency and a request outside Amazon's official channels.

Checked:

Fake Amazon support calls and emailsPaid promotion services that take money and vanishTwo checks that defeat almost every scam

The scams circulating now

Impostor calls claim your account is at risk and ask for your password or a one-time code. Bogus 'promotion companies' offer guaranteed reviews or bestseller placement for a fee. And copyright trolls file false claims to pressure small payments.

  • Amazon never calls to ask for your password or OTP
  • No service can guarantee reviews or bestseller rank
  • Real rights notices come through KDP, not social media

The two checks that stop them

One: verify the sender through your KDP account messages, not the reply button. Two: never pay or share codes under time pressure. A legitimate notice stays valid tomorrow; a scam needs you to act now.

If you already paid or shared

Change your password and enable two-step verification immediately, then report the message through KDP help. If money moved, contact your bank the same day.

Next release checks

KDP account help

KDP account terminated: understand the reason, then appeal with the right evidence.

Terminations spiked after the 2025 identity rules landed. Some authors win appeals; most who lose repeat the same mistakes.Open check

KDP account help

KDP identity verification: prepare the right documents and avoid the failures that stall release.

Since 2025 KDP verifies the identity behind a publishing account. A failed or stuck check is now one of the most common reasons books never go live.Open check

Publishing guide

How to copyright a book in 2026, step by step.

Your book is copyrighted the moment it is written. Registration is what lets you enforce it.Open check

KDP help center

KDP help: the questions authors ask most, answered in one place.

We analyzed 250,000+ questions from the KDP community and grouped them into the topics below. Each answer links to a free tool or guide that fixes the problem.Open check

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does Amazon call authors by phone?

Amazon does not cold-call authors about account problems. A phone call asking for codes or payment is always a scam.

A company promised 500 reviews for a fee. Is it real?

No. Purchased reviews break policy, get removed, and put the account at risk. No external service can deliver them legally.

Someone claims to own my book's rights and demands money. What now?

Do not pay. Real claims arrive through official channels. Keep your original files and publication dates as evidence and respond through KDP.

I already gave a scammer my OTP. What do I do?

Change your password first, enable two-step verification, check your bank details in the account, and open a case with KDP support.

Keep your account details safe while publishing.

The metadata checklist reminds you what to verify before every release.

Open the metadata checklist