Amazon Prime Big Deal Day is coming. Here's how to avoid getting scammed

C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·5 min read

Amazon is ramping up for another big sales day for Prime members with Prime Big Deal Day coming Tuesday, Oct. 10. And that means the scammers are ramping up, too.

Got an email from Amazon that says your account has been suspended or deleted due to "suspicious activity"? It probably wasn't.

Got a phone call from Amazon about your account that asks for your personal information? Hang up.

Got an email from Amazon confirming an order for something expensive you never heard of? Don't click on anything.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, from July 2020 to July 2021, about one in three people reporting an impersonation scam — about 96,000 people — said the scammer claimed to be Amazon, with about 6,000 people losing reported losses of more than $27 million. The average amount lost was $1,000.

And Floridians are tempting targets for scammers. In 2022, the FBI reported that online crime cost Florida residents $844.9 million last year, the second-highest state amount in the U.S. The most common category of frauds reported was imposter scams.

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How do I protect myself from Amazon scams?

Most importantly, when you get emails or text messages telling you there are problems with an order or your account, or asking you to verify a large purchase you've never heard of, do not click on anything. The company advises you to go directly to Amazon.com or the Amazon mobile app to check your orders and status. If there is anything that needs addressing, you'll get a notice there.

Clicking on links in these emails or texts can lead to real-looking Amazon-ish pages where you'll be asked to log in, and then the scammers have your password. Or they may download malicious software onto your computer. Here's what to watch for:

  • Emails or texts with spelling or grammatical mistakes.

  • Emails with links that, when you hover over them with your mouse, are for strings of numbers, shortened bit.ly URLs, or anything besides "amazon.com." "Legitimate Amazon websites have a dot before "amazon.com" such as http://'something'.amazon.com," the company says.

  • Emails or texts that say your account has been suspended or deleted.

  • Emails, texts or phone calls that ask you to make payments by bank transfers or gift cards. Amazon only asks for payments through its website, physical stores or app. Amazon will never ask you to make any payment outside of its app or website.

  • Emails, texts or phone calls informing you of a refund or overpayment and asking for personal information to get your money back. Amazon issues refunds through the site or app using the method you used to pay, they will never use bank transfers or gift cards and you will never be asked to pay anything to get a refund.

  • Email addresses that end in anything other than "@amazon.com."

How can I tell if an email is really from Amazon?

It will be from an email address that ends in "@amazon.com." If you use one of these major email providers, the Amazon smile logo will appear next to it in your inbox. It will not ask for personal information or ask you to click to download software, ever.

What are Amazon email gift card scams?

Scammers like gift cards, and they use a lot of different ways to rip people off with them. Here are just a few.

  • You may get a text saying someone has gifted you an Amazon gift card. First verify it's from Amazon, which uses 455-72 for gift cards. Then contact the person who sent it, if it's someone you recognize. If you can't verify it, delete it.

  • You may get an unsolicited phone call or text informing you about a problem with your Social Security account, or your taxes, unpaid debts, fines, or a family member in trouble, and the only way out is to buy Amazon gift cards and send them the numbers as payment. No legitimate organization will do this.

  • You may get an unsolicited phone call or text letting you know you're getting a refund on your taxes or a prize or a rebate, but you need to pay the administrative costs with, you guessed it, an Amazon gift card.

  • You may get an unsolicited email or text from your boss or someone above you in your company, supposedly out of town or in a meeting, asking you to buy gift cards to be used as employee incentives or rewards or for clients. Contact them separately and verify before you waste your money.

The Federal Trade Commission has more information on gift card scams at FTC.gov/giftcards, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has tips here.

Do Amazon representatives ever call people?

Yes, according to Amazon's site. But while some departments may call customers, "Amazon will never ask you to disclose or verify sensitive personal information, or offer you a refund you do not expect," Amazon says.

Does Amazon ever send emails with attachments?

Amazon does occasionally send emails with attachments, but if they are legitimately from the company, the attachments will be linked in a box that says, "Attachments(s) protected by Amazon." The major email companies work with Amazon to try to reduce scams.

What do I do if I was scammed by someone pretending to be Amazon?

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Amazon gift card scams: How to detect, avoid scams, phishing, spoofing