LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Amazon Prime Day is here, bringing consumers good deals—plus a few that are just too good to be true. Experts are urging shoppers to watch out for scammers impersonating Amazon and to think before they click.
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“This is a huge moment on the retail calendar,” said Josh Planos, vice president of communications and public relations at the Better Business Bureau. “And because of that, it represents an enormous opportunity for a scammer, con artist, or even just an unethical business or organization to capitalize on the moment and separate folks from their hard-earned money.”
Two scams have been prevalent in recent years around Prime Day, according to Amazon’s director of worldwide buyer risk prevention Scott Knapp: Prime membership and order confirmation phishing. Targets may receive an email or a phone call alerting them that there’s a problem with their payment method for Amazon Prime, which will then ask for credit card information or login credentials. Shoppers may also receive an email asking them to confirm an order they didn’t place, typically for expensive items like smartphones and computers that are likely to draw attention.
“Typically, the bones remain the same,” Planos said, pointing to repeating fake delivery scams, email phishing, and more. “It’s always a ploy to separate consumers from [their] personal and payment information.”
But, he warns, scams are evolving to appear more legitimate. Fake websites, calls, and emails may appear more convincing than they have in the past, requiring shoppers to be vigilant.
Fake texts, calls, and email can be reported here.
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