Prime Day is a great opportunity to shop amazing deals and massive discounts, but unfortunately also attracts a lot of scammers looking to take advantage of enthusiastic shoppers. Below, we share the five common Amazon Prime Day scams you should be aware of.
Tip: Do check out the new Amazon Pay, how it works, and how you can prevent scam with it.
1. Fake Websites
One of the most deceptive threats during Amazon Prime Day is the prevalence of bogus websites. These sites mimic the entire Amazon interface and the sellers may appear to be legitimate, which can risk both your personal and financial information.
To spot these websites, you can take a look at the URL carefully. You are likely to notice unusual URL patterns or slight misspellings. The best way to avoid these scams is to start your shopping journey at the official Amazon site by typing “www.amazon.com” directly into your browser. Avoid clicking on links from social media ads or emails.
2. Phishing Emails and Texts
Another thing that becomes very common during Prime Day is the influx of phishing emails and texts that are designed to steal your information. Like the fake websites, these too mimic Amazon’s official correspondence, and usually offer deals that are too good to be true or claim there’s an issue with your account.
To save yourself from these, carefully look at any message that asks you for your personal information or demands immediate action. Amazon will never ask for your password, banking information, or credit card details via email or SMS. Such emails and messages also have quite a few grammatical errors that you can spot if you look closely.
Additionally, before clicking any links, hover over them to verify whether they direct to a legitimate Amazon domain, and be wary of shortened links, which are frequently used to hide malicious websites.
3. Non-Existent Deals
You might also come across non-existent deals during Amazon Prime Day, where promotions promise hefty discounts but may ultimately lead to inflated prices or offers on less desirable products.
The best way to safeguard yourself against such tactics is by using a price tracking tool. There are several free online options available, and they work by providing a history of price changes that can help you determine whether a sale is genuinely worthwhile or just a clever marketing ploy.
Apart from this, we also recommend exercising caution with deals that seem exceptionally good. Extremely low prices during high-profile sales events like Prime Day might be enticing, but they can sometimes lead to scams or the sale of counterfeit products. Don’t forget to review the seller’s history and customer feedback before you make a decision.
4. Fake Customer Service
Events like Prime Day naturally lead to a high volume of inquiries as hundreds of customers are seeking support for their purchases, track deliveries, or resolve issues. This increased demand for customer service creates an opportunity for scammers to set up fake customer service operations.
They often do it by creating fake, but quite legitimate-looking Amazon support pages and social media profiles. Some even run ads designed to appear at the top of search engine results.
To make sure you don’t fall for this scam, avoid using search engine results or clicking on ads for customer support numbers. Amazon typically communicates with customers through channels that require you to log into your account, so always navigate directly to Amazon’s official website or app and use the help section to contact customer service.
If a customer support representative is asking for your payment information, account password, or other sensitive personal data directly, it is most likely a scam.
5. Counterfeit Products
Finally, there are quite a few counterfeit products that make their way onto Amazon during Prime Day, blending into the flood of deals.
To make sure you don’t end up buying those, examine the seller’s credibility and the product details carefully. Authentic items are typically sold by the brands themselves or through certified resellers. If you encounter a seller with limited feedback or an unusually low price point, take this as a red flag.
You can also look at the listings to decide if a product is genuine. Legitimate listings are often complete with detailed descriptions, high-quality images from multiple angles, and clear, accurate branding.
Hopefully, following the tips we have shared above will help you stay safe while shopping. Additionally, don’t forget to sign up for Amazon Prime before the sale begins.
Image credits: Pixaby. All screenshots by Zainab Falak.
