Shopping for Father’s Day and Prime Day? Here’s How to Avoid Scams and Keep More of Your Money

By the time you read this, you’ve probably seen the ads, the countdown clocks, and the email subject lines promising “unmissable” deals. Father’s Day and Prime Day fall close together this year, and retailers are expecting record spending. But so are scammers. Every major shopping event brings a predictable surge in fake websites, phishing emails, and social-media posts that look like incredible bargains—until you check your bank account.

Here’s what’s happening, why it matters, and—most importantly—what you can do to shop safely.

What Happened

According to a recent report from WRAL, analysts expect Father’s Day and Prime Day to drive record levels of consumer spending. The jump is partly due to pent-up demand and partly to the convenience of online shopping. However, the same conditions that make it easy for shoppers to click “buy” also make it easy for fraudsters to operate. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued warnings about gift-card scams and phishing attempts tied to holiday sales, and security researchers have already spotted fake Prime Day landing pages circulating on social media.

These scams aren’t just a nuisance—they cost real money. Victims can lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and recovering that money is often slow and uncertain.

Why It Matters

When you fall for a scam, you don’t just lose the price of a gift. You may hand over personal information—credit card numbers, addresses, even login credentials—that can be used for identity theft later. The emotional toll is also real: the frustration of being tricked, the embarrassment of telling friends or family, and the hassle of freezing accounts and disputing charges.

The good news is that most of these scams follow the same patterns. Once you know what to look for, you can spot them quickly and shop with much less risk.

What Readers Can Do

1. Treat “too good to be true” as a warning, not a promise
If a deal is 80% off a popular brand-name item, odds are it’s either a counterfeit or a straight-up scam. Real sales from legitimate retailers typically offer 20–50% off, not 90% off a new iPhone.

2. Check the website URL before you type any information
Fake sites often use addresses that look real but have a small misspelling—like “Amaz0n” instead of “Amazon,” or “walmart-sale” instead of “walmart.com.” Look for the padlock icon in the address bar (though that’s not a perfect guarantee), and avoid clicking links from social media ads unless you’re sure the retailer is legitimate.

3. Be suspicious of unsolicited emails and texts
Phishing emails for Prime Day often claim you’ve won a gift card or that your account has an urgent problem. Don’t click the link. Instead, go directly to the store’s website by typing the address yourself. If the message mentions a specific deal, verify it on the retailer’s official page.

4. Pay with a credit card, not with a debit card, wire transfer, or gift card
Credit cards offer better fraud protection under federal law (the Fair Credit Billing Act). If you see a site that only accepts wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or prepaid gift cards, stop—legitimate merchants do not demand those methods. The FTC specifically warns that anyone asking for payment via gift card is almost certainly a scammer.

5. Use price comparison tools, but stick to well-known ones
There are many legitimate apps and websites that compare prices across retailers (Google Shopping, CamelCamelCamel for Amazon, etc.). But there are also copycat comparison sites that collect your payment data or lead you to fake stores. Stick with tools you’ve used before or that are recommended by a source you trust.

6. If you think you’ve been scammed, act quickly
Contact your bank or credit card company immediately to dispute the charge. Change the passwords on any accounts you may have exposed. Then file a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and with your local consumer protection agency. The faster you act, the better your chances of recovering the money.

Sources

  • WRAL: Father’s Day, Prime Day to bring record spending. Here’s how to shop smart, and avoid scams (June 19, 2026) — link
  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Holiday Shopping and Gift Card Scams — ftc.gov

Enjoy the deals—but take an extra few seconds to check the link, the payment method, and your gut feeling. A little caution now can save you a lot of hassle later.