July is still around the corner, but Prime Day has already arrived. This year, Amazon’s big summer sale runs June 23 through June 26—and lurking among the deals are scams, waiting to trip you up during a busy shopping period.
So how do you protect yourself? Keep an eye out for these common types of scams, but the basic answer is “don’t rush things.”
4 ways to avoid Prime Day scams
Know the links you click on
Sure, you can scrutinize every URL you click or tap on. But heading straight to the Amazon app or website is much faster and simpler. (Just make sure you type in the address correctly.) Sketchy ads, email, and social media posts can send you to fake sites. Enter your login information or personal details and, boom, now scammers have the info they need to take over your account. Or worse, perform identity theft.
Watch out for fake text messages
Scammers change the topic of phony text messages depending on time of year. The perennial favorites are currently unpaid tolls and DMV violations (and other government-related fees). But during shopping seasons like Prime Day? Expect a slew of unwanted texts about delayed or misdirected packages.
Don’t click or tap those included links! Instead, if you’re worried, go to Amazon’s app or website directly and check on your order status there.
Investigate apps and browser extensions before installing
Now is a great time to get extra cashback or rewards for shopping you’re already doing—so long as you’ve downloaded a legitimate browser extension or app. If one catches your interest, research it before downloading and installing. Same goes for add-ons and apps that look for deals or find coupons for the sites you’re shopping on.
Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true
Official websites can sometimes slice as much as 70 percent (or even more) from list prices at this time of year. But look out for fake sites and third-party resellers on known sites like Amazon. If the price is much cheaper than the official sellers, that’s a red flag—proceed with extreme caution. Investigate the seller; if you can’t confirm they’re trustworthy, buy elsewhere.
Bonus tip
Ultimately, your best protection against scammers is knowledge. Form a habit of becoming familiar with the sites you visit, as well as the apps or browser extensions you use. And not just URLs and who the developers are, but how those businesses operate.
But if that fails and you accidentally click a scammy link? Logging into websites with a passkey helps cover your butt, since passkeys can’t be stolen through phishing. They’re not an iron-clad defense, as an attacker can still break into your account through other means. But they’re stronger than a password, and even some combinations of password + two-factor authentication.
