BBB Warns: Watch Out for These Online Shopping Scams Before Prime Day
Amazon Prime Day is one of the biggest online shopping events of the year—and criminals know it. Every major sale period brings a predictable surge in phishing emails, fake websites, and fraudulent ads. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) issued a formal warning in June 2026, urging shoppers to stay alert as scammers ramp up efforts ahead of Prime Day.
If you’re planning to take advantage of the deals, it pays to know what the most common tricks look like and how to avoid them.
What Happened
The BBB’s warning highlights several types of scams that tend to spike around large retail events like Prime Day. According to the bureau, the most frequent complaints involve:
- Lookalike websites – Domains that mimic Amazon or other major retailers, often using names like “amazon-deals-2026.com” or “primeday-offers.net.” These sites may steal your payment information or simply take your money without delivering anything.
- Phishing emails and texts – Messages claiming to offer Prime Day early access, exclusive deals, or account problems. They often include a link that leads to a fake login page designed to steal your Amazon credentials.
- Social media ads for fake products – Ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok promoting heavily discounted electronics, appliances, or popular items. Many of these ads lead to sellers who never ship the product.
- Counterfeit or cheap knock-offs – Even if you receive something, it may be a poor imitation of the real item, especially for luxury goods, electronics, and brand-name apparel.
- Non-delivery scams – You pay, and the item never arrives. The seller disappears or stops responding.
Amazon itself never asks for payment outside its official checkout process, and the company does not send unsolicited emails asking for personal information. Any message that pressures you to “act now” or “verify your account” should be treated with suspicion.
Why It Matters
Online shopping scams are more than a nuisance—they cause real financial harm. The FTC reports that consumers lost hundreds of millions of dollars to online shopping fraud in recent years, and large sales events concentrate those losses into a short window. Scammers know you’re in a hurry to grab a deal and may not scrutinize a URL or read the fine print.
Beyond the immediate loss, victims often spend hours trying to recover money, dispute charges, or close compromised accounts. The damage can also extend to identity theft if scammers obtain enough personal information.
For shoppers, the stakes are particularly high because fake deals look convincing. Professional-looking websites, polished email templates, and even fake customer reviews have become cheap and easy to produce.
What Readers Can Do
You don’t need to avoid Prime Day altogether—just take a few precautions before clicking “buy.”
1. Stick to the official Amazon site or app. Type the address yourself or use a saved bookmark. Don’t click links in unsolicited emails, texts, or ads. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is.
2. Verify the seller before you purchase. Amazon’s website shows seller names and ratings. If you’re buying from a third-party seller, check their history. Established sellers with thousands of reviews are generally safer than brand-new accounts offering steep discounts.
3. Pay with a credit card. Credit cards offer stronger fraud protection than debit cards, prepaid cards, or peer-to-peer payment apps. You can dispute unauthorized charges more easily, and many cards also offer purchase protection for items that never arrive.
4. Never pay with gift cards or wire transfers. Legitimate retailers will never ask for payment in iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, or any other gift card. Nor will they request a wire transfer. Those payment methods are nearly impossible to trace or reverse.
5. Watch for red flags in emails and texts. Look for generic greetings, misspellings, awkward phrasing, or a sender email address that doesn’t match the official domain. Hover over any link (without clicking) to see the destination URL. If it looks suspicious, delete the message.
6. Enable purchase alerts and monitor your accounts. Most banks and credit card issuers let you set up alerts for transactions over a certain amount. Check your statements regularly during and after Prime Day. The sooner you spot an unauthorized charge, the easier it is to dispute.
7. If you think you’ve been scammed, act quickly. Contact your bank or credit card company immediately. File a report with the BBB’s Scam Tracker and with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If your personal information was compromised, consider freezing your credit with the three major bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion).
Sources
- Better Business Bureau, “BBB Warning: Scams Surge Ahead of Amazon Prime Day,” June 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission, “How to Avoid Online Shopping Scams,” ftc.gov.
- BBB Scam Tracker, bbb.org/scamtracker.
Stay alert, shop smart, and don’t let a fake deal ruin your Prime Day. The real bargains are out there—you just need to find them without letting your guard down.