{"id":215838,"date":"2026-06-10T08:00:56","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T15:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=215838"},"modified":"2026-06-10T11:49:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T18:49:19","slug":"how-to-shop-safely-during-amazon-prime-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/how-to-shop-safely-during-amazon-prime-day\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Shop Safely During Amazon Prime Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amazon Prime Day is one of the biggest online shopping events of the year, and scammers know it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Every year, cybercriminals take advantage of the rush to find deals by creating fake Amazon websites, sending delivery\u00a0scam\u00a0texts, impersonating customer support agents, and using AI-generated content to make\u00a0scams\u00a0look more convincing than ever.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

New McAfee research<\/span><\/a>\u00a0suggests shoppers may be especially vulnerable this year. Forty percent of consumers say they would trust a lower-priced deal without verifying it first, while 29% admit they would skip researching a seller if the price looked good enough.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That combination of urgency, discounts, and increasingly sophisticated\u00a0scams\u00a0creates the perfect environment for fraud.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone\u00a0who has ever fallen for a scam thought they would recognize one first,\u201d McAfee\u2019s Head of Threat Research Abhishek Karnik reminds shoppers.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat confidence is part of what scammers count on,\u201d he says. \u201cTools like\u00a0<\/span>McAfee<\/span><\/a>\u00a0exist precisely for those moments, flagging suspicious links, messages, and offers in real time, before a split-second decision becomes a costly one.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the most common Amazon Prime Day\u00a0scams\u00a0to watch for in 2026 and the warning signs that can help you avoid them.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Scam Type<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nHow It Works<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nRed Flags<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fake shopping websites<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nFraudulent websites mimic real retailers and disappear after collecting payments<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nPrices far below competitors, little company information, newly created websites<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fake social media ads<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nAds promote products that never arrive or are counterfeit<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nToo-good-to-be-true discounts, limited reviews, unfamiliar brands<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Delivery notification\u00a0scams<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nFake package alerts claim there is an issue with your shipment<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nUnexpected texts, suspicious links, requests for payment<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Retailer impersonation\u00a0scams<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nMessages claim there is a problem with your account or order<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nUrgent language, login requests, unfamiliar sender addresses<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
QR code\u00a0scams<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nQR codes redirect shoppers to fraudulent websites<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nCodes placed on flyers, posters, packages, or public locations<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brushing\u00a0scams<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nUnsolicited packages arrive at your home<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nItems you never ordered, requests to scan codes or leave reviews<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fake recall\u00a0scams<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nMessages claim a recent purchase has been recalled<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nRequests for payment, account credentials, or personal information<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Here are examples of Amazon-relategd scam texts our team came across near Prime day last year:<\/p>\n

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Figure 1.<\/strong> Examples of Amazon tariff and job scams<\/p>\n

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Figure 2.<\/strong> An example of a fake Amazon sign-in page.<\/p>\n

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Figure 3.<\/strong> Examples of Amazon phishing scams<\/p>\n

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Why Prime Day Scams Work<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Major shopping events create the exact conditions scammers rely\u00a0on:\u00a0urgency, distraction, and the promise of savings.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

McAfee research found:<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n