As Amazon Prime Day gets underway this week, the Better Business Bureau is warning that cybercriminals will be after the millions of shoppers trying to scoop up deals.
They know that it's tempting to act fast when you see a great deal, or click on a delivery notification if you receive a text or email.
Buy before you do, the BBB says it's essential to make sure everything you're clicking on is real.
The Better Business Bureau's Melanie McGovern cautions that "Amazon is the most impersonated company when it comes to scam reports."
She says if you order from any company over the next week or two, be extra cautious of unsolicited emails or texts, especially if they tell you an order is on its way.
"Just know what you've opted in for," she said, "We can't stress this enough if you're ordering a lot of stuff from a lot of different retailers, make a list and keep track because it can be very overwhelming."
She says you also need to be on the lookout for lookalike websites.
Always check the URL l for a letter or number that doesn't quite make sense.
"That's called type squatting," McGovern explained. "They could use a zero instead of an 'o' or the number '1' instead of an I," she said.
How to protect yourself when shopping
The BBB says that when shopping Prime Day and competing sales this week:
- Shop directly from a retailer's site.
- Be wary of exceedingly low prices.
- Check the URL before clicking on a social media ad.
- Don't click on links or attachments from unknown emails.
Run into issues?
Use the chat service or phone number provided on a company's website, but not the one you might receive in an email or text, as it may lead directly to the scammer.
That way you can enjoy your savings this Prime Day, and you don't waste your money.
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