Big sale season is basically the Super Bowl for online shopping. Apparently, it’s also the Super Bowl for scammers.
Amazon has confirmed Prime Day is happening earlier than usual this year, shifting from July to June, and security experts are already warning shoppers to expect a wave of fake emails, scam listings, and sketchy “account alerts.”
The biggest issue is that these scams don’t look obviously fake anymore. According to security experts at IT Asset Management Group (IT-AMG), scammers are getting much better at copying Amazon’s branding, layouts, and messaging. So, the “bad grammar = scam” tells don’t always work now.
Some of these emails look almost identical to the real thing. And that is where people get caught.
The fake Prime account scheme
One of the biggest scams revolves around Prime memberships. Targets get a text, a call, or an email claiming there’s an issue with their account, their payment failed, or their membership needs verification.
Then comes the link. Or worse, someone asking for bank details over the phone.
The key thing to remember here is that Amazon does not ask for sensitive information through random calls, texts, or emails. If something feels urgent, weird, or pushy, open the app yourself and check there. Not through the message.
The fake orders
This one plays directly into Prime Day brain. People are ordering a bunch of stuff, packages are flying everywhere, notifications never stop. That’s the perfect environment for a fake “problem with your order” email to sneak in.
Scammers send messages claiming a target’s payment failed, delivery was delayed, or there is an issue with their shipment.
The links lead to fake login pages designed to steal passwords, payment details, or other sensitive personal information.
Fake listings are everywhere too
This is the scam people fall for when the deal feels too good. A high-demand item suddenly appears at a suspiciously low price. A victim buys it. Then, one of three things happens. They either get a counterfeit product, get something completely random, or nothing shows up at all.
Outsmart the smart scams
Prime Day can already be chaotic, with tabs everywhere, panic-buying electronics at 1 a.m., and people convincing themselves they “need” a second air fryer because it’s 43% off.
Scammers know this. They know that the faster people shop, the less carefully they think.
So, you want to be careful. Don’t click links in random emails, check orders directly in the Amazon app, and always use two-factor authentication. As a general rule of thumb, be suspicious of prices that look unreal or too good to be true.
And if someone calls asking for your banking info “for Prime verification,” absolutely not.
Source: CW33