Amazon to Pay $2.25 Million to Settle FTC Charges It Violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act

Key Facts

Case name	United States v. Amazon.com, Inc.
Case number	1:26-cv-02305
Court	U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Plaintiff	United States, on referral from the FTC
Defendant	Amazon.com, Inc.
Law at issue	Section 609(e) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681g(e)
Penalty	$2.25 million civil penalty — the largest ever secured under FCRA Section 609(e)
Resolution type	Stipulated order (settlement) with permanent injunction
Complaint filed	June 29, 2026
FTC announcement	June 30, 2026
DOJ announcement	August 14, 2026
FTC Commission vote	2-0 to refer and approve the proposed order
This is only the 2nd	FTC enforcement case ever brought under FCRA Section 609(e) — the first was against Kohl’s in 2020

What Is Section 609(e), and What Did Amazon Allegedly Do Wrong?

Section 609(e) of the FCRA is a narrow but specific consumer-protection provision: when someone’s identity is stolen and used to make fraudulent purchases, the business that was defrauded must, within 30 days of a request, hand over its records of those transactions to the victim — records that help the victim prove the fraud, dispute it with credit bureaus, and clear their name. Law enforcement agencies acting on a victim’s behalf are entitled to the same records.

According to the complaint, Amazon routinely failed to comply with this requirement in several ways:

• Amazon had no written policy at all for handling Section 609(e) requests until early 2025 — and only adopted one after learning the FTC was investigating.
• Customer service agents told consumers they couldn’t have the records for “security” or “privacy” reasons — reasons the statute doesn’t recognize as valid grounds for refusal.
• In one specific example cited in the complaint, a consumer seeking records tied to unauthorized charges was told by an Amazon representative that the details couldn’t be shared unless the consumer could correctly guess the name the identity thief had used on the fraudulent account — which the consumer was unable to do after 30 attempts.
• Amazon refused requests from law enforcement agencies that had been authorized by victims to request the records on their behalf.
• Some consumers sent Amazon copies of the FCRA statute and FTC guidance to try to get compliance, without success.
• Even when Amazon eventually provided records, it sometimes missed the 30-day deadline the law requires.

The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection director, Christopher Mufarrige, characterized the pattern bluntly, saying Amazon “often put identity theft victims through a Kafkaesque ordeal by demanding they identify the thief who stole their information before Amazon would release the records the law entitles them to.”

What the Settlement Requires

The stipulated order, once entered by the court, requires Amazon to:

1. Pay a $2.25 million civil penalty — a record amount for a Section 609(e) case.
2. Stop violating Section 609(e) going forward, under a permanent injunction.
3. Provide requested records free of charge, within 30 days, to identity theft victims and to law enforcement agencies acting on their behalf, subject to identity and claim verification.
4. Post a notice on its website explaining how identity theft victims can request these records.
5. Proactively contact consumers who had requested records since April 2024 but didn’t receive them, informing them that Amazon may have additional records and that they can request them.

Timeline

Date	Event
June 2023	FTC staff first advises Amazon to review its Section 609(e) compliance, after receiving a consumer complaint
January 2025	FTC formally notifies Amazon it is under investigation
Early 2025	Amazon implements its first-ever written policy for handling Section 609(e) requests
March 2025	Two consumers file new record requests; one isn’t denied until August 2025, the other doesn’t receive records until August 2025
May 8, 2026	Amazon VP of Legal, Enterprise Risk, Alexis Collins, signs the proposed stipulated order
May 12, 2026	Amazon’s outside counsel (Sidley Austin LLP) signs the proposed order
June 29, 2026	DOJ files the complaint and proposed stipulated order in U.S. District Court, D.D.C.
June 30, 2026	FTC publicly announces the settlement
August 14, 2026	DOJ issues its own press release on the entered order

Is There a Claim Process for Consumers?

No — this is important to understand. This is a government enforcement action, not a class action settlement, so there is no claim form, no settlement fund for the general public to apply to, and no deadline to file anything. The $2.25 million penalty is paid to the U.S. Treasury, not distributed to affected consumers.

What this settlement does give consumers is a legally enforceable right going forward: if you were the victim of identity theft involving a fraudulent Amazon purchase and you request Amazon’s transaction records related to that fraud, Amazon is now under a court order to provide them within 30 days, free of charge, once it verifies your identity and your claim of identity theft. If Amazon previously denied you those records — particularly if you made a request any time after April 2024 — the order specifically requires Amazon to reach out to you and let you know you can request the records again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to file a claim to get money from this settlement? 

No. This is a government penalty paid to the U.S. Treasury, not a consumer settlement fund. There’s nothing to file and no payout to individual consumers.

I was a victim of identity theft involving an Amazon purchase — what should I do?

 Request Amazon’s transaction records related to the fraudulent purchase directly from Amazon, per the process the company is now required to post on its website. You’ll need to verify your identity and your claim of identity theft.

What if Amazon already denied my request for these records? 

If you requested records since April 2024 and didn’t receive them, the settlement order specifically requires Amazon to proactively contact you and let you know you can request the records again.

Has this order actually been entered by the court yet? 

The DOJ’s August 14, 2026 announcement states a federal court has entered the stipulated order, meaning it’s now in effect.

Has the FTC done this kind of case before? 

Yes, but only once — this is the second case the FTC has ever brought under FCRA Section 609(e). The first was against Kohl’s Department Stores in 2020.

Does this settlement mean Amazon admitted wrongdoing?

 Stipulated orders of this kind typically resolve allegations without Amazon formally admitting liability, while still requiring payment of the penalty and compliance with the injunction going forward. Neither the DOJ nor FTC press releases state that Amazon admitted the allegations.

Sources

• U.S. Department of Justice — “Amazon Agrees to $2.25 Million Settlement and Injunction to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act”, August 14, 2026
• Federal Trade Commission — “FTC Requires Amazon to Pay $2.25 Million to Resolve Charges It Knowingly Violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act”, June 30, 2026
• FTC Case Docket — U.S. v. Amazon.com, Inc., Matter No. 252 3024
• FTC — Complaint (PDF)
• FTC — Proposed Stipulated Order (PDF)

Update Log

• August 18, 2026 — Initial publication, incorporating both the June 30 FTC announcement and the August 14 DOJ announcement confirming the order was entered by the court.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against official Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission press releases and case filings, as of August 18, 2026. Last Updated: August 18, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.