One of the biggest shopping days of the year, Amazon Prime Day, kicks off on July 8th, and shoppers around the world are starting to prepare. So are cybercriminals. The IT security company Check Point Software is now warning expectant shoppers to stay vigilant ahead of this shopping spree.
Phishing attacks are already targeting innocent shoppers. In June alone, over 1,000 new domains with names similar to Amazon have appeared online. Of these, 87 percent have been flagged as malicious or suspicious. Several domains also contain ’''Amazon Prime''’, of which 1 in 81 has been flagged as risky.
Big shopping days like Amazon Prime Day are magnets for online fraud, and cybercriminals are ramping up their efforts through two primary methods: Fake websites, in this case designed to mimic Amazon's official website and phishing emails that create a sense of urgency. This entices unsuspecting victims to click on malicious links. Through these methods, cybercriminals can then steal login credentials, personal information, and make unauthorized purchases.
“As millions of shoppers around the world get ready to bargain, they are also becoming an attractive target for cybercriminals,” says Oskar Rödin, security expert at Check Point Software. It is important for shoppers to remain vigilant, trust their gut feelings, and be aware of methods that pressure them to make quick decisions.
Take these steps to protect yourself and your personal information:
- Shop directly via the company's official website
- Avoid clicking on links in emails that claim to be legitimate
- Double-check URLs and don't trust anything that seems too good to be true
- Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication
Read more on Check Point's blog: https://blog.checkpoint.com/research/amazon-prime-day-2025-deals-await-but-so-do-the-cyber-criminals-2/
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