Amazon App Hack Fears Quelled; False Alarm Over Added Secure Lockers

A concerning report about the Amazon app is going around. According to the claim, Amazon was hacked, and the attackers added random Amazon lockers to customers' saved address listings on the app.

Misunderstanding Results In A False Rumor That Amazon App Was Hacked

Scared Amazon customers claimed that these were not legitimate lockers and that any orders placed at one of these bogus lockers, which were labeled as Amazon Locker, Amazon Hub Locker, Amazon Fresh, or Amazon Counter, would be stolen by the thieves who posted the lockers listed in the app.

However, per Phone Arena, Amazon was not hacked, and the entire incident was an illustration of how something reasonable can be blown out of proportion online. It was simply an attempt by Amazon to have orders delivered to one of their secure lockers near each subscriber.

Now that the holiday shopping season has begun, a large number of packages are arriving on porches on a daily basis. As a result, it is an excellent moment to be a porch pirate, stealing merchandise from the front porches of shoppers as soon as the boxes are removed from those ubiquitous Amazon trucks.

So Amazon reasoned that by allowing customers to have their goods delivered to a safe Amazon locker near them, it was doing them a favor. And guess what? Some of them are inside Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods supermarkets.

The issue is that Amazon has not been forthcoming in explaining why these addresses appeared out of nowhere on the Amazon app. To discover if Amazon has added any nearby Amazon lockers near you, launch the app and tap the head and body icon at the bottom of the screen.

After that, tap on "Your Orders" at the top of the screen. Under "Account Settings," select "Your Addresses," and you'll discover neighboring Amazon lockers where you can request your Amazon orders be delivered, in addition to your personal addresses.

So there's no need to delete these addresses, and if you're worried about someone stealing your Amazon deliveries, choosing one of the Amazon lockers may be a safer and more secure delivery option, especially if no one is at home all day when an Amazon truck may be dropping off some packages to you.

So we've put an end to the speculation about Amazon being hacked. "We have no evidence of a security event at Amazon, and our systems remain secure. Customers who have questions about their account should contact customer service," Amazon's worldwide media relations spokesman, Montana MacLachlan, stated.

PayPal Stock Falls After Amazon Discontinues Venmo Payment System

Meanwhile, PayPal Holdings shares dipped after Amazon announced that it will no longer accept PayPal-owned Venmo for payment. Venmo said in a statement, per Investopedia, that "due to recent changes," users who have the service activated in their Amazon wallet would no longer be able to purchase things on the site after January 10.

Amazon customers will still be able to use Venmo debit and credit cards. Amazon and PayPal revealed the Venmo partnership in October of last year. A PayPal release at the time stated that "the option to pay with Venmo on Amazon brings the familiarity and trust you know and love about using Venmo to the Amazon shopping experience."

According to Max Bardon, vice president of Amazon Worldwide Payments, Amazon took the decision to accept Venmo payments in order to provide its consumers with more "payment options that are convenient, easy to use, and secure."

On Thursday, PayPal shares closed 1.8% lower at $58.48, increasing their year-to-date fall to 22%. Amazon shares rose 1.6% to $146.88 on Thursday, bringing their year-to-date gain to 71%.

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