SCAM OF THE WEEK: These Prime Deals Are Too Good to Be Real

Amazon Prime Day is this week, and there are plenty of deals for you to take advantage of. However, cybercriminals are also looking to turn these deals to their advantage. In this particular scam, cybercriminals have created fake websites that look very similar to the real Amazon website. Then, they send you phishing emails and text messages that contain links to the fake websites they created.

The phishing emails and messages will sound alarming to try to trick you into clicking impulsively. They may say that there’s an urgent problem, that your account has been suspended, or that your payment details need to be updated. They will usually threaten to delete your account if the problem isn’t addressed soon. If you click the link in the email or message, you’ll be directed to a fake website. If you enter your login credentials or payment information, that data will be sent directly to the cybercriminals.
 
Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to an Amazon Prime Day scam:

• Check the URL of a website very carefully before entering any information. The URL may look very similar to the legitimate Amazon web page but will have subtle differences.
• Be cautious of unexpected emails or text messages, especially if they instruct you to click a link. If you suspect that there may be a problem with your Amazon account, it’s safer to navigate directly to Amazon’s website instead.
• If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Be very skeptical of unrealistic deals and suspicious offers.