Amazon Prime Day 2024: How to avoid scams while shopping for deals

Amazon Prime Day 2024 kicks off Tuesday but, with new savings, consumers also face actually losing good money over the two-day event — and many could end up turning over personal information to crooks and con artists.

Amazon created Prime Day back in 2015 to offer hot deals to build up membership and online sales.

Saving money is one thing, and many people need to chase deals given the rise in many prices since the pandemic. But the surge in online shopping over the past 10 years or so has opened the door to scammers.

In 2023, consumers filed 376,460 complaints involving online shopping fraud and negative reviews, the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Sentinel Network says. About 53% of the reports involved some loss of money with the median loss reported involving $126. The total losses reported exceeded $397 million.

"Consumers need to be vigilant. A seasonal sale like Prime Day might be the perfect time where counterfeiters infiltrate e-commerce platforms with counterfeit products," said Saleem Alhabash, professor of advertising at Michigan State University and associate director for research for MSU’s Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection.

If you're spotting a price that's so low — something you've never seen in the past — stop before you order anything and ask yourself if this could be a real deal.

Here are some tips to stay safe and get what you paid for during Amazon Prime Days.

Verify — don't just trust — emails that claim to be from Amazon

If you suddenly get a message about a product or service, the last thing you should do is respond. Never respond to the message or click on any link in the message. Instead, Amazon recommends that you log into your Amazon account or use the Amazon mobile app and confirm that it is really in your purchase history before taking any action.

Be extremely skeptical about demands for money

Amazon notes that it will not ask for payment over the phone or email — only in its mobile app, website, or in one of its physical stores. "We will not call and ask you to make a payment or bank transfer on another website," Amazon states.

Do not listen to someone who claims you must install software

Amazon notes that it will not ask you to download or install any software to connect with customer service. And Amazon is not requesting any payment for any customer service support.

Make sure the website or app is not impersonating Amazon

Newly created domains, often impersonating Amazon or other retailers, are rolled out by scammers just in time for big shopping events, like Amazon Prime Day.

Shop and buy only from sites that begin with https:// to make sure the site is secure. Check for a lock symbol in your browser to confirm the site's safety.   

Also take time to click on the seller's name and see whether they have a valid digital presence. Can you spot if they offer a website? An email or social media handles?

"I always look at a few things: Which website or app I’m purchasing from, or if it’s a well-known app, who the seller is if they allow third-party sellers like Amazon or Walmart.com," said Kari Kammel, director of MSU’s Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection.

"If I don’t know the seller, I try to look them up on Google or another search engine," she said.

She opts not to place an order if she doesn't find information about the seller, or the information seems odd.

More:Amazon Prime Day 2024: Watch out for fake sites, deals designed to steal cash, IDs

Look out for counterfeit products

A great online deal might mean that you'll be sent counterfeit goods or nothing at all. If you do get an item shipped to you, you won't receive the same quality or safety standards if you are sent a counterfeit item.

Take some time to check for quality cues.

"Brands spend large amount of money building and maintaining their brands," Alhabash said. An easy ways to detect fraud, he said, is to take a careful look at the product description to make sure that it's free from spelling and grammatical errors. Take a close look at the quality of brand-related visuals. "If a product listing has low-resolution product pictures, then this is a cue that the product might be counterfeit," he said.

Amazon has been cracking down on counterfeits, including announcing an Anti-Counterfeiting Exchange in April 2023 to identify and stop bad actors more quickly.

One risk involving counterfeit goods: A shopper will click on a link to buy a counterfeit item, said Kammel, and they may actually receive one shipped to them. But often, "the link will be geared toward financial scams — looking to steal credit card information, personal identifying information from the shopper through phishing, and other types of online fraud."

Beware of phony Facebook ads

Treat pop up ads on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook with a good deal of skepticism.

Fraudsters can, and do, figure out ways to hide behind websites that they've created to impersonate big brand names. 90% off everything? Not likely, not likely.

Carefully read refund policies

It might look like a bargain, but is it if you're paying $10 or more to ship the item back if it doesn't fit or isn't want you really want? Who pays the shipping costs for returns? What are those costs? What are the restocking fees, if there are any? And how many days do you have to return an item? Could you return it to a nearby store to avoid shipping costs?

The Federal Trade Commission notes that the website must say whether you’re able to return the item for a full refund.

Fake texts

Everyone seems to be texting us about a delivery problem — whether you shopped online or not. "You have a package that needs to be delivered," one says.

Somehow, they don't have the right address? But they have your phone number? Really? It's prime season for the crooks to get you to click on those links. Don't do it.

Stay secure

Keep computers and smartphones updated with the latest cybersecurity protections.

"Stay alert to suspicious websites that could conceal harmful software," an alert from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce advises.

Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) @tompor.