Amazon Prime Day warning as criminals get ready to pounce

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Amazon Prime Day is right around the corner with a tonne of bargains available for millions of customers to take advantage of.

But tech experts are issuing a stern warning to those who are looking ready to snap up a good deal or even just casually browse what is available. And it concerns your privacy as criminals look to steal from you in a very specific way.

Prime Day 2024 will take place next Tuesday and Wednesday (16 and 17 July), where Prime members are given two days of some of the best deals you'll find in the entire calendar year.

Prime Day 2024 is almost here (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Early deals are already available a week ahead of the big sale, with a two for one deal on Ring cameras among those you can pick up already.

Expect deals across a whole range of other tech products as well as clothing and shoes, TVs, beauty products, and vouchers.

But with the sale event a week away, folk in the tech industry are warning people about a growth in cybercriminal activity that will be shining the microscope on trying to get your financial details.

What are criminals trying to do?

Research from the team at Check Point found that more than 1,230 new domains associated with Amazon have been registered in just June alone, with 85 percent flagged as malicious or suspicious. And one out of every 80 new Amazon-related domains flagged as malicious or suspicious contains the phrase 'Amazon Prime', showing a clear motive to target the big two day event.

Last year, Prime members bought more than 375 million items worldwide and saved more than $2.5 billion on millions of deals, making it the biggest Prime Day event ever.

It's a pattern that means we're likely to be more vulnerable than ever for 2024 due to the historical record demand.

Do not fall victim to the scammers (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

"However, amidst the excitement, there is an underlying risk that cannot be ignored," Check Point says.

"Cyber criminals leverage this occasion to carry out phishing attacks, preying on unsuspecting shoppers. These attackers employ deceptive tactics, such as sending fake emails or creating fraudulent websites, aiming to steal personal information or financial credentials.

"While Prime Day offers incredible savings, it is crucial for shoppers to remain vigilant, exercise caution while clicking on links or providing sensitive information, and ensure they are navigating legitimate platforms."

URLs to be wary of

With any of the below URLs, do not click on them or interact with them in any way. If you can report the source to law enforcement, please do.

The bogus websites carry out a variety of methods to try and get your information, such as by designing a replica of the real thing.

Others go after you by asking to put in your log in details, which are then lost to the cybercriminals as soon as you type them out.

• shopamazon2[.]com
• microsoft-amazon[.]shop
• amazonapp[.]nl
• shopamazon3[.]com
• amazon-billing[.]top
• amazonshop1[.]com
• fedexamazonus[.]top
• amazonupdator[.]com

It is also worth keeping an eye out for bogus emails coming your way in the build up to the Prime Day event, with some criminals targeting customers by saying their account has been frozen. They claim you must log in to get your account back - do not do this.

Prime delivery vans are everywhere nowadays (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Expert opinion

Calum Baird is a British detective in specialist technical law enforcement, who recently spent three years investigating complex cybercrime for Police Scotland, including IPTV thefts at the distribution level.

Writing on LinkedIn, he said: "Threat actors will be making the most of Amazon Prime Day deals to trick customers into visiting malicious websites. These websites are designed to appear genuine and facilitate cybercrime which could include credential theft, fraud, and the deployment of malware/ransomware.

"Make sure that you and your colleagues are aware of this tactic used by threat actors and how to avoid becoming a victim."