There’s a big event this month that everyone’s looking forward to! It’s full of tricks and treats, spooks and scares, and some very reasonable prices on inflatable skeletons. No, not Halloween—it’s Amazon Prime Day! Every year, millions of people flock to the shopping giant to score great deals on everything from computers to couches to canned goods. That’s the treat, but many cybercriminals use the day’s excitement to make money instead of saving some. This year, phishing attacks are on the rise. Scammers created almost 350 fraudulent sites using Prime Day as their lure. Cybercriminals are using this technique called ‘piggy-backing’ more and more often.
This year’s phishing campaign features fraudulent emails and sites that seem legitimate at first glance. They are specifically designed to resemble authentic Amazon support sites. These sites might ask you to input credit card information for a ‘refund’ or offer extravagant prizes for completing a small survey. There are also often small irregularities on these pages: links will be broken or nonexistent to prevent users from navigating away, images will be blurry, spelling and grammar mistakes are common. These inconsistencies should act as a sign that the site is fraudulent, so leave the page if you notice them!
Ultimately, the best way to avoid fraudulent sites and phishing campaigns on Prime Day is to stay away from clicking links in emails that claim to direct you to Prime Day sales or to a specific Amazon page. Instead, navigate directly to Amazon from your preferred browser and enjoy the sales. If you find yourself on a suspicious site, look out for the red flags that we mentioned earlier. When in doubt, get right out!
If you have any more questions or concerns about your internet security, feel free to reach out to us at info@optfinity.com. You can also call us at (703)790-0400. Happy Shopping!
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