Amazon Prime Day: Fraudsters create thousands of fake websites to scam shoppers – how to spot one

SHOPPERS have been warned to watch out for criminals trying to steal their cash on Amazon Prime Day.

Thousands of fake websites have been identified that could trick people into sharing their personal and financial information.

Read our Amazon Prime Day 2021 live blog for the latest updates

Scammers are trying to steal shoppers money thisCredit: Alamy

Criminals area taking advantage of the Amazon’s annual deals day which take place on June 21 and 22.

There are millions of deals on the Amazon website and fraudsters are trying to tempt shoppers into sharing information that could be used to steal their cash.

According to IT firm Check Point, 2,300 websites have been created in the past month related to Amazon and Prime Day and the majority are deemed malicious or suspicious.

The sites include fake Amazon customer service pages and login pages for the online shopping giant.

Best Prime Day Deals 2021

PRIME Day ends at midnight tonight, so today is your last chance to snap up deals on big name brands and Amazon-owned products and services exclusively for Prime Day members.

Here are the best deals we’ve spotted this Prime Day:

Fire Stick 4K with Alexa, £26.99 (save £23) – here
Finish All-in-One Dishwasher Tablets x110, £17.96 (save £8) – here
Greenzia Reusable Make-up Remover Pads, £9.99 (save £3) – here
Apple Airpod Pro, £187.99 (lowest price ever) – here
Nintendo Switch Bundle, £299.99 (save £41) – here
Sennheiser HD 450BT Wireless Headphones, £89 (save £70) – here
Chilly’s Bottles, £15 (save £12) – here
Michael Kors Quartz Watch, £89 (save £22) – here
Jack Daniels Gentleman Jack Whisky, £19.98 (save £15) – here
Apple Watch SE, £286.99 (save £62) – here
Simba Hybrid mattresses, save up to 40% off – here
Emma Original mattress, save up to 50% off – here
Echo Dot 4th Gen, £24.99 (50% off) – here
Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick, £199 (save £200) – here
Kindle, £49.99 (save £20) – here

If you haven’t signed up already, make sure you sign up here – otherwise you won’t be able to access the deals.

We’ve rounded up more great deals here:

The websites can be used as part of phishing campaigns, where criminals send emails that appear to be from legitimate companies.

This can be a message like asking you to verify your account.

They are designed to get you to click through to a website that also looks real, in order to get you to share information like bank details and passwords.

This financial and personal information can then be used to try and get hold of your cash.

An example of a scam email designed to try and get your hard-earned cash

In one example of the scam, the criminals use the information to gain access to your real account and place orders or spend gift cards.

The company’s research suggests that the number of fake sites has increased since the last Prime Day in October 2020.

These websites and emails often look incredibly convincing, but there are a few things to look out for that can signal that someone is trying to scam you.

The head of the fraud prevention agency Cifas has warned shoppers to be vigilant.

Amber Burridge said: “Criminals will be trying to take advantage of the annual Amazon Prime Day event and tempt consumers into handing over their personal and financial details.

“The event is designed to provide consumers with deals on the latest brands and products, meaning criminals’ attempts to fool unsuspecting consumers will appear more genuine.

How to protect yourself from scams

BY keeping these tips in mind, you can avoid getting caught up in a scam:

Firstly, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it normally is.
Check brands are “verified” on Facebook and Twitter pages – this means the company will have a blue tick on its profile.
Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously bad at writing proper English. If you receive a message from a “friend” informing you of a freebie, consider whether it’s written in your friend’s normal style.
If you’re invited to click on a URL, hover over the link to see the address it will take you to – does it look genuine?
To be on the really safe side, don’t click on unsolicited links in messages, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.
Be careful when opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are increasingly attaching files, usually PDFs or spreadsheets, which contain dangerous malware.
If you receive a suspicious message then report it to the company, block the sender and delete it.
If you think you’ve fallen for a scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use its online fraud reporting tool.

“It is vital consumers are on their guard when clicking on links or adverts. Providing simple personal details to a fraudster, such as name, date of birth and address, could see individuals targeted by criminals becoming victims of identity fraud.”

There are several red flags to be aware of so you don’t become a victim of such scams.

You can usually spot a fake email or website by checking the URL and sender. Often the email has random letters or words in and is not the legitimate website address.

There may also be spelling errors and bad grammar which you can often spot in the email and website pages too.

You also want to look at the URL for the ‘S’ where it says https, as this signals it’s a secure website. There’s usually a lock icon next to it too.

If you get an email out of the blue, never click on the link directly. You should navigate to it separately to ensure you go to the right one

What is phishing?

HERE’s what you need to know:

Phishing is a type of online fraud
It’s typically an attempt to nab some of your data
Phishing generally involves scammers posing as a trustworthy entity
For instance, fraudsters could send you an email claiming to be your bank, asking for details
Scammers can also set up fake websites that look like real ones, simply to hoodwink you
Phishing can take place over email, social media, texts, phone calls and more
The best defence against phishing is to be generally sceptical of weblinks and emails, especially if they were unsolicited

Never share any information that’s solicited via email. Often the scammers use urgent language to try and get you to click through and share information.

Check Point also recommends that you have a strong password for Amazon that can’t be guessed from personal information, like birth dates or address locations.

As ever, if it’s too good to be true, it usually is, and promises of major discounts like 80% off an iPad are unlikely to be real, the firm says.

Using a Credit Card to make purchases can give you extra protection if something goes wrong.

If you are concerned that you have fallen for a scam, you should report it to your bank and Action Fraud straight away.

We reveal how Amazon’s ‘hidden’ Prime Day discounts can give you an extra 30% off.

Check out Amazon’s Prime Day deals on booze, which includes up to 40% off Aperol and gin.

There’s also big savings on things you use everyday like toilet roll and nappies.

Amazon destroys £40million of goods a YEAR at Scots warehouse

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk