Watch Out for These Amazon Prime Day Scams
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New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.
Amazon Prime Day is upon us, which means scammers are out in force to take advantage of shoppers looking for deals. If you're a Prime member, you may be a target for scams ranging from impersonation and phishing to fake product listings and unsolicited packages (known as brushing scams).
Impersonation in particular is a widespread scam tactic used to convince you that the person you're interacting with is a legitimate representative of a trusted company or organization. The goal, ultimately, is to get you to hand over personal or financial data that the scammers can use to access your accounts and steal money or your identity. Amazon is not immune: bad actors have used all manner of communication, including phone, email, text, and social media to contact customers regarding their Amazon accounts.
Amazon Prime membership scams
Amazon is alerting customers to a recent uptick in fake emails related to Prime subscriptions. Scammers are sending messages to Prime members stating that their subscriptions are set to renew, but at an unexpected—likely higher—price. The emails include a "cancel subscription" button or link, which leads to a phishing website that spoofs Amazon's login page. If you engage with the site, you may end up handing your Amazon credentials or banking information over to the scammers. Amazon notes that these fake emails may be personalized to make them seem more legitimate and convincing.
Another possible iteration of this scam is a message claiming that there's an issue with your account that requires you to contact Amazon to fix. (If you're planning to shop Prime Day deals, this "problem" may seem especially pertinent.) However, if you click the link or call the phone number provided, you're most likely going to reach the scammers, not Amazon's customer support.
How to avoid Prime Day scams
If you receive an urgent-sounding message from Amazon about your Prime membership, you can probably just ignore it. Don't click any links or respond to messages directly—engaging with scammers makes it more likely that your information will be compromised in some way.
If you're unsure about the status of your Prime membership, you can view the renewal date and plan information in the Amazon app or via the Amazon website (go to Accounts & Lists > Account > Prime). Always type amazon.com directly into your browser to avoid phishing websites that may appear in search results. You can also verify any communication from Amazon under Accounts & Lists > Account > Your Messages, as all legitimate messages will be archived here.
If you believe you've been targeted by scammers, you can report it to Amazon's support page. You can also enable two-factor authentication on your Amazon account and, if you've accidentally clicked any suspicious links, keep an eye on your bank and credit card statements for any unauthorized activity.
Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.
Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale begins at midnight on July 8 and will include deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.
Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale, “Black Friday in July,” runs through Sunday, July 13 and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.
Home Depot extended its 4th of July sale through at least July 9, competing with some amazing deals of its own. It’s an especially good option if you’re looking for power tools, appliances, or outdoor equipment.