Launched in 2015 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Amazon, Prime Day is a massive online shopping event. During this event, Amazon Prime members can access exclusive deals and discounts. Like Cyber Monday, it has grown into one of the biggest shopping events of the year. If you're a bargain hunter, you can take advantage of limited-time deals for a wide variety of products. Unfortunately, cyber crooks know you're on the lookout for cheap goods, which makes it the perfect opportunity for them to try to defraud you out of your money and personal information. Read on to find out how you can stay safe.
You're probably wondering why Amazon hasn't done more to protect you. One of the challenges is they have over 9 million sellers worldwide, with 5 million based in the United States alone. Also, Amazon adds around 3,700 new sellers or merchants daily. They try to do a good job vetting the merchants that sell on Amazon, for example, the online stores TEMU and SHEIN were originally on Amazon before they were given the boot. With that vast number of merchants, crooks can slip through the cracks to set up scams to deceive you.
What do you need to watch for? Amazon Prime Day Scams are created to target unsuspecting consumers like you and aim to steal your personal information, financial details, or even your money. These scams can take many forms, so you need to be careful of the following:
Phishing emails. Phishing is the primary way criminals will use to scam you. Prime Day phishing emails look official and try to get you to click a link or download an attachment to claim a deal. The links lead to fake websites that can steal your login credentials, personal information, or financial details.
Bogus websites. With so many web-based tools that are available to create websites, any criminal can quickly create a fake website that looks like Amazon. The purpose of these sites is for you to enter your credentials and payment details which then allows crooks to steal your data.
Too Good To Be True deals. Prime-day deals can be hard to beat and criminals use this to advertise too-good-to-be-true discounts on popular products to lure you in. and may result in you receiving counterfeit items or nothing at all.
Fake customer service calls or texts. Scammers can also take advantage of you through fake customer service calls or texts. Claiming to be from Amazon, they contact shoppers and ask them for personal information or payment details to resolve an issue with their account or order. The scammers may use spoofed phone numbers to call from to appear legitimate.
How can you protect yourself this Prime Day? When it comes to staying safe from cyber threats, the best thing you can do is to build your human firewall. Using the following tips, you can avoid most scams and frauds.
Shop only on Amazon’s website. For the safest shopping experience, stay on the official Amazon website (amazon.com). You can eliminate many cyber attacks when you only shop at Amazon. Finding a better Prime Day Deal on another site might be tempting, but remember that's what the scammers want you to do.
Secure your Amazon account. Using passphrases and enabling 2 2-factor authentication on your Amazon account will keep your chances of getting scammed very low. It will also keep your account out of the hands of criminals who can use it to steal your personal and financial data as well as using it to make purchases that criminals can ship to themselves.
Read the reviews. With close to 9 million merchants on Amazon, it’s important to read the reviews on any vendor you plan to purchase from. Cyber crooks are notorious for setting up fake reviews, so filter the customer feedback from worst to best. Also, check for recurring complaints among the one-star reviews. If you see multiple people flagging a potential scam, that’s not a good sign.
Monitor your Amazon account for suspicious activity. Regularly review your account. Remember, your Amazon account isn't shopping, your Prime Video and Music accounts can be stolen and used by crooks. Also, your smart home Alexa devices are connected to your account. Unauthorized account access means crooks can have access to your conversations as well as the ability to view cameras posted in and around your home.
Be cautious of unsolicited emails and phone calls. If Amazon or another company contacts you and urges you to click a link or provide private information, you must verify the authenticity of these messages. You can do so by logging in to your Amazon account directly or contacting Amazon customer support through official channels.
What to do if you fall for a Prime Day scam. If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of falling victim to a Prime Day scam, you must act quickly to minimize potential damage. Contact Amazon’s customer service immediately to report the incident. Provide details of the scam, including any communication or transactions involved.
Hopefully, this will give you tips to help you reduce your risks when shopping on Prime Day. If you have any questions, please reach out. I'm always available.
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Looking for More Useful Tips Tips?
My Tuesday Tech Tips Blog is released every Tuesday. If you like video tips, I LIVE STREAM new episodes of 'Computer and Tech Tips for Non-Tech People' every Wednesday at 1:00 pm CST on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Technology product reviews are posted every Thursday. You can view previous episodes on my YouTube channel.
Sign Up for My Newsletter! Click this link to sign-up and subscribe and you will receive every tip directly in your inbox each week.
Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@burtonkelso.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone.
Need computer or technology help? If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. Our team of friendly tech experts organization can help you with any IT needs you might have. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829.
Please share this with your friends and family! If you found this post useful, would you mind helping me out by sharing it? Just click one of the handy social media sharing buttons below.
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