As Amazon Prime Day gets underway this week, the Better Business Bureauwarns that cybercriminals will be after the millions of shoppers trying to scoop up deals.
Scammers know it's tempting for consumers to act fast when they see a great deal or click on a delivery notification if they receive a text or email. But before you do, the BBB says it's essential to check everything you're clicking on is real.
The Better Business Bureau's Melanie McGovern says, "Amazon is the most impersonated company when it comes to scam reports."
She says if you order from any company over the next week or two, be extra cautious of unsolicited emails or texts, especially if they tell you an order is on its way.
"Just know what you've opted in for," she said, "We can't stress this enough if you're ordering a lot of stuff from a lot of different retailers, make a list and keep track because it can be very overwhelming."
She says you also need to be on the lookout for lookalike websites.
Always check the URL for a letter or number that doesn't quite make sense.
"That's called type squatting," McGovern explained. "They could use a zero instead of an 'o' or the number '1' instead of an I."
How to tackle Amazon Prime Day to find the best deals
Amazon Prime Day is July 11–12 and offers great bargains, but it can be a bit intimidating.
How to protect yourself when shopping
The BBB says that when shopping Prime Day and competing sales this week:
- Shop directly from a retailer's site
- Be wary of exceedingly low prices
- Check the URL before clicking on a social media ad
- Don't click on links or attachments from unknown emails
If you run into issues, use the chat service or phone number provided on a company's website, but not the one you might receive in an email or text, as it may lead directly to the scammer.
