How to Spot Online Shopping Scams Before You Click ‘Buy’ This Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day is one of the biggest online shopping events of the year. For scammers, it’s also one of the busiest. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued its annual warning about a surge in shopping scams timed to coincide with major sales events like Prime Day. The goal: trick shoppers into handing over money or personal information through fake deals, phishing emails, and counterfeit goods.

If you’re planning to take advantage of Prime Day discounts, knowing what to look for can mean the difference between a genuine bargain and a costly mistake.

What happened

The BBB regularly tracks scam reports around high-traffic shopping days. According to their research, complaints about online shopping fraud spike sharply during Prime Day, Black Friday, and similar events. Scammers use the urgency and excitement of limited-time deals to bypass shoppers’ usual caution.

The types of scams vary, but a few patterns emerge year after year:

  • Phishing emails that appear to be from Amazon or other major retailers, often with subject lines like “Order confirmation” or “Account alert.” The goal is to trick you into clicking a link that leads to a fake login page.
  • Fake websites that closely mimic legitimate retail sites. Scammers register domain names that look similar to Amazon (e.g., amzon-deals.com instead of amazon.com).
  • Social media ads promoting too-good-to-be-true deals, often for electronics, clothing, or home goods. These ads lead to sites that never deliver the product or deliver counterfeit items.
  • Counterfeit goods offered at steep discounts, especially for luxury brands or popular gadgets.

Why it matters

The financial impact of online shopping scams is substantial. The FTC reported that consumers lost over $8.8 billion to fraud in 2022, with a significant portion coming from shopping scams. Beyond the direct loss, victims may also have their credit card numbers, passwords, or personal information stolen.

Prime Day creates an environment where shoppers are already predisposed to spend, and scammers exploit that. A fake 80% off deal on a new laptop can be very tempting, but it’s almost always a red flag. The BBB’s warning isn’t new, but the consistency of these scams shows that many people still fall for them each year.

What readers can do

Here are concrete steps to protect yourself during Prime Day and other sales events:

1. Shop directly on official apps or websites

Type the retailer’s URL into your browser yourself, or use their official app. Do not click on links from emails, social media posts, or search results, especially if they seem urgent. Bookmark Amazon’s actual website (amazon.com) and use that as your starting point.

2. Check the URL before you pay

Look for signs of a fake site: misspellings (e.g., “arnazon.com”), unusual top-level domains (e.g., .shop or .bargain instead of .com), or URLs that look like a random string of characters. Genuine Amazon URLs will end with “/dp/” followed by a product code.

3. Be skeptical of deals that are dramatically cheaper

If a product is listed at 80 or 90 percent off the retail price, pause. Scammers often use steep discounts to lure shoppers. Compare prices across multiple stores, and use a price tracker tool like CamelCamelCamel to see historical price history.

4. Use a credit card for purchases

Credit cards offer better fraud protection than debit cards, gift cards, or peer-to-peer payment apps like Venmo or Zelle. If something goes wrong, you can dispute the charge. Scammers frequently ask for payment via gift cards or wire transfers—these are red flags.

5. Enable two-factor authentication on your accounts

This adds an extra layer of security. Even if a scammer gets your password, they won’t be able to log in without the second factor (like a code sent to your phone).

6. Inspect product reviews carefully

Fake reviews are common on scam sites. Look for reviews that seem overly generic, use similar language, or were posted in a short time frame. Legitimate sites like Amazon have their own review verification systems, but they are not perfect.

7. What to do if you fall victim

  • Contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately to report the fraud and freeze the card.
  • Change the password for the affected account and any other accounts that use the same password.
  • Report the scam to the BBB’s Scam Tracker (bbb.org/scamtracker) and the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov).
  • If the scam involved a fake website, also report it to your email provider or web browser’s security team.

Staying safe is worth the extra minute

Prime Day can offer genuine savings, but the rush of the event also makes it prime hunting ground for scammers. By slowing down, verifying the source of a deal, and using secure payment methods, you can protect yourself from most common scams. The BBB’s warning is a reminder: if a deal feels too good to be true, it probably is.

Sources

  • Better Business Bureau – Scam Tracker and annual retail warnings
  • Federal Trade Commission – Consumer advice on online shopping scams
  • BBB warning coverage (WBKO, June 2026)