How to Spot Online Shopping Scams Before Amazon Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day is one of the biggest online shopping events of the year. With millions of people hunting for deals, scammers are also busy setting up fake websites, sending phishing emails, and advertising counterfeit goods. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently issued a warning about this spike in fraudulent activity, and it’s worth paying attention to before you click “buy.”

What Happened

In late June 2026, the BBB published an alert cautioning shoppers about scams specifically targeting Amazon Prime Day. The warning covered common tactics: fake seller profiles on third-party marketplaces, phishing emails designed to look like official Amazon messages, and “too good to be true” deals that either don’t deliver or deliver counterfeit products. Similar alerts have been issued ahead of previous Prime Days, but the scale of online shopping continues to grow, giving scammers a bigger pool of potential victims.

Why It Matters

Major sales events create a sense of urgency and pressure. Scammers exploit that by offering steep discounts on popular electronics, luxury goods, or home appliances. The goal is to get you to pay without thinking twice. According to the BBB, the most frequent complaints during Prime Day involve non-delivery of items and deceptive advertisements that lead to fake checkout pages. Once money is sent—especially via wire transfer or peer-to-peer apps—it’s very hard to recover.

Even if you only shop on Amazon’s site directly, you can still encounter problems. Phishing emails that appear to be from Amazon might ask you to “confirm your account” or “update payment details.” Clicking the link can install malware or steal your login credentials. The same applies to ads on social media that claim to be official Prime Day deals but redirect to copycat sites.

What Readers Can Do

Verify before you click. Always check the URL before entering any personal or payment information. Official Amazon domains end with “amazon.com” (or a country-specific variant). Look for subtle misspellings like “amazn.com” or “amaz0n.com.” If you receive an email about a deal, do not click the link. Open a new browser window and go to Amazon directly.

Stick to trusted retailers. If you encounter a deal on a site you’ve never used before, research the company. Look for a physical address, customer service phone number, and reviews on independent platforms like the BBB website. Be skeptical of social media ads from unknown sellers—especially if they use stock photos and have few followers.

Use secure payment methods. Credit cards offer the strongest fraud protection. Avoid debit cards, wire transfers, gift cards, or payment apps like Cash App and Venmo for purchases from unfamiliar merchants. If something goes wrong, a credit card issuer can often reverse the charge.

Watch for red flags in the deal itself. Unrealistic discounts—like a $1,000 laptop for $200—are almost always scams. Also be cautious of sellers who demand payment outside of the platform’s normal checkout process or who pressure you to “act now or lose the price.”

Keep your software updated. Make sure your browser, operating system, and antivirus programs are up to date. This helps protect against malicious links or downloads that may come with scam emails.

What to Do If You Get Scammed

If you realize you’ve fallen for a scam, act quickly. Contact your bank or credit card issuer to report the transaction and ask about a chargeback. Change the passwords on your Amazon account and any other accounts where you used the same credentials. Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the BBB’s Scam Tracker. If you shared sensitive information like your Social Security number, consider freezing your credit with the three major bureaus.

Sources

  • BBB warning (June 2026) reported by WBKO.
  • BBB Scam Tracker and online shopping scam resources.
  • Federal Trade Commission guidance on online shopping fraud.

Prime Day doesn’t have to be a gamble. With a few cautious habits, you can take advantage of the real deals and leave the fake ones to the scammers.