The somewhat erroneously named Amazon Prime Day – it lasts for far more than 24 hours! – is coming up on 7 July, and while the deals may be hot, so are the risks, as scammers line up to exploit shoppers looking for deals that are literally too good to be true.
“Cyber criminals know consumers are actively looking for deals, expecting delivery updates and engaging with promotional messages, making it easier for fraudulent emails, text messages and websites to appear genuine and catch consumers off guard,” Adam Marrè, CISO at Arctic Wolf and former FBI special agent, told Cyber Daily.
“With AI, cyber criminals can create personalised messages at scale that mimic trusted brands, making it increasingly difficult for consumers to tell the difference between a genuine offer and a scam.”
Marrè said shoppers should be on the lookout for messages alerting them to delivery or payment issues, or any message attempting to create a sense of urgency to click or a link or act right away.
“The safest approach is to go directly to a retailer’s website or app to verify any activity rather than following links in emails or text messages,” Marrè said.
“A successful phishing attempt can have consequences that extend far beyond a single transaction. If scammers gain access to login credentials, they may be able to take over online accounts, access personal information, make unauthorised purchases or use stolen details in future fraud attempts.
“Taking a few extra moments to verify a message could help prevent a small mistake from turning into a much bigger issue, such as identity fraud or financial loss.”
Given that many people conduct online shopping while at work, such scams may also cross over from being a consumer problem to becoming a business issue, as well.
Here are the top five tips to stay safe this Amazon Prime Day (or week, we’re not counting):
- Verify website addresses before shopping, as legitimate retailers such as Amazon will use their official domain names, not misspelled or suspicious variations.
- Treat high-pressure or urgent offers with caution, as scammers rely on rushed decisions before shoppers have time to think.
- Check that the website is secure by looking for the padlock icon and ensuring the URL begins with “https” before entering payment details.
- Avoid retailers that do not clearly display privacy policies, terms and conditions, dispute resolution processes or contact information.
- Be sceptical of deals that seem too good to be true, particularly products offered at unrealistically low prices or with exaggerated claims.
If you have been the victim of a cyber crime, report it online at https://www.cyber.gov.au/report.
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David Hollingworth
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.