Connect with us

Technologies

Prime Day Shopping: How to Get The Deals Without Getting Scammed

Online scammers are looking to take advantage of eager shoppers, but keeping a close eye on details can help prevent you from falling victim.

Amazon’s Prime Day sale is officially here, but shoppers looking for great deals need to be careful that they don’t get scammed in the process. 

Amazon is warning consumers to be on the lookout for cybercriminals attempting to use the massive online event, which runs Tuesday through Friday, as an opportunity to con them out of their money and personal information.

According to Amazon, reports of email impersonation scams, where cybercriminals tried to pass themselves off as Amazon or another related company, jumped 50% during Prime Day in 2024, compared with the weeks before the sale. 

Meanwhile, researchers for the cybersecurity company Check Point say that during the month of June, they spotted more than 1,000 new websites with domain names similar to Amazon. About 87% of those were flagged as malicious or suspicious, meaning they could be trying to impersonate Amazon in attempts to steal shopper account credentials or payment information.

Separate research done by McAfee found more than 36,000 fake Amazon sites and over 75,000 delivery and Amazon impersonation scam texts leading up to this week’s Prime Day. That cybersecurity company also did an online  survey of more than 5,000 people around the world focused on shopping habits. Of the Americans polled, 15% said they’ve been scammed during Prime Day or a similar shopping event and 84% of those people reported losing money as a result.

While cybercriminals have long tried to take advantage of Prime Day shoppers, the big spike in potentially scammy websites ahead of this year’s event marks a shift in their game plan, says Dave Meister, cybersecurity evangelist for Check Point.

«That’s been really interesting to see,» Meister said. «The malicious actors aren’t just being opportunistic here, they’re preparing for what they know is coming.» 

AI gives old scams new power

The carrots cybercriminals use in their scam emails, texts, and social media posts have remained largely the same in recent years. 

According to Amazon, they often tell a target that there was a problem with their account or an order, or ask for alternate payment information, falsely claiming that their payment didn’t go through. Regardless of their specific pitch, the objective of the scams is to steal payment card information or Amazon account usernames and passwords. 

What has changed is the sophistication and scale of those scam messages, partially due to artificial intelligence tools. Just a few years ago, Check Point researchers would spot just a few hundred scam websites tied to Prime Day, a far cry from this year’s more than 1,000, Meister said. It also wasn’t that long ago that phishing emails were generic and riddled with grammatical errors, making them easy to spot. 

But AI-powered tools now let cybercriminals quickly create fake websites that convincingly impersonate companies like Amazon, he said. They also allow for the creation of countless phishing messages written in perfect English that target specific people, harvesting personal details about them from sources like social media to make them appear legitimate. 

«The tactics haven’t necessarily changed, AI has just lowered the barrier for anybody to step in,» he said. 

Why Amazon and Prime Day?

Security experts say Amazon’s widespread popularity makes it a top choice for scammers. If a consumer gets an email that looks like it’s coming from a bank they don’t have an account with, they’re probably going to delete it right away. But just about everybody has an Amazon account, making scam emails featuring Amazon significantly more convincing.

Outside of the holiday shopping season, Amazon’s Prime Day events are some of its biggest sales days of the year, and cybercriminals will be looking to capitalize on that. That means shoppers will need to be especially on guard as they look for deals. 

And many Prime Day offers feature big price cuts and disappear fast, making it more likely that shoppers will click before they think. But slowing down is exactly what they need to do.

«I think the most important thing is to be skeptical right out of the gate,» Meister said.

Tips for safe Prime Day shopping 

Here are a handful of tips from Amazon and Check Point for how to stay safe while shopping for Prime Day deals.

Double-check domain names. If a site’s address doesn’t start with «Amazon.com,» it could be a fake. The same goes for other online retailers. Look for misspellings, additional punctuation and anything else that might seem a little off in the address.

For Amazon purchases, stick to the company’s website, app and stores. Amazon will never ask for payment over the phone, by text or by email. It also won’t ask you to make them by bank transfer or through a third-party site.

Go straight to retailer websites. You’re better off typing in the URL directly than clicking on a link that might be shady. If a message says you ordered something that you think you didn’t, skip the link and just check «My Orders» in your Amazon account to see if that’s true.

Use a good password and 2FA. Hard-to-crack passwords are a must for all retail sites. That means they need to be long, unique and random. Don’t be tempted to recycle even a great password if you’ve used it for another account. And whenever possible, enable two-factor authentication. Adding this extra form of authentication could save your bacon if your password does end up compromised.

Treat urgency with suspicion. Yes, a lot of Prime Day deals are limited-time, but any offer that says you need to buy right away needs a closer look. Cybercriminals are banking on you clicking before you think.

Look for the lock. By now, any legitimate retail site uses SSL encryption, which is signified by a lock symbol at the start of the URL. If it’s missing, shop elsewhere.

Report scam messages. Most email programs have buttons that let you report spam or phishing. Forward scam text messages to 7726 (SPAM). Prime Day scams should be reported to Amazon through their app or website.

If it’s too good to be true… Yes, we’ve heard this so many times it’s officially a cliche, but any mind-blowingly amazing deal should be treated like a scam, because it probably is. If you can’t verify it on the company’s site, steer clear.

Related Topics:

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 18, #513

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 18, No. 513.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has a fun yellow category that might just start you singing. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: I don’t care if I never get back.

Green group hint: Get that gold medal.

Blue group hint: Hoops superstar.

Purple group hint: Not front, but…

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Heard in «Take Me Out to the Ball Game.»

Green group: Olympic snowboarding events.

Blue group: Vince Carter, informally.

Purple group: ____ back.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is heard in «Take Me Out to the Ball Game.» The four answers are Cracker Jack, home team, old ball game and peanuts.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is Olympic snowboarding events. The four answers are big air, giant slalom, halfpipe and slopestyle.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Vince Carter, informally. The four answers are Air Canada, Half-Man, Half-Amazing, VC and Vinsanity.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ back. The four answers are diamond, drop, quarter and razor.

Continue Reading

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Feb. 18

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 18.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword is a fun one, and it’s not terribly tough. It helps if you know a certain Olympian. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: ___ Glenn, Olympic figure skater who’s a three-time U.S. national champion
Answer: AMBER

6A clue: Popcorn size that might come in a bucket
Answer: LARGE

7A clue: Lies and the Lying ___ Who Tell Them» (Al Franken book)
Answer: LIARS

8A clue: Close-up map
Answer: INSET

9A clue: Prepares a home for a new baby
Answer: NESTS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Bold poker declaration
Answer: ALLIN

2D clue: Only U.S. state with a one-syllable name
Answer: MAINE

3D clue: Orchestra section with trumpets and horns
Answer: BRASS

4D clue: «Great» or «Snowy» wading bird
Answer: EGRET

5D clue: Some sheet music squiggles
Answer: RESTS

Continue Reading

Technologies

The Witcher 3, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Bring the Heat to Xbox Game Pass

Two amazing games will be available soon for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

The second half of February and early March could be considered one of the best stretches in recent memory for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, widely regarded as one of the best games of the past decade, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 headline a lineup that leans heavily into sprawling, choice-driven adventures but does throw in some football to mix things up a bit. 

Xbox Game Pass offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, smart TV, PC or mobile device, with prices starting at $10 a month. While all Game Pass tiers offer you a library of games, Game Pass Ultimate ($30 a month) gives you access to the most games, as well as Day 1 games, meaning they hit Game Pass the day they go on sale.

Here are all the latest games subscribers can play on Game Pass. You can also check out other games the company added to the service in early February, including Madden NFL 26.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition 

Available on Feb. 19 for Game Pass Ultimate and Premium Game Pass subscribers.

The Witcher 3 came out 10 years ago, and it’s still being praised as one of the best games ever made. To celebrate, developer CD Projekt Red is bringing over The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition to Xbox Game Pass. Subscribers will be able to play The Witcher 3 and its expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. Players once more take on the role of monster-slayer Geralt, who goes on an epic search for his daughter, Ciri. As he pieces together what happened to her, he comes across vicious monsters, devious spirits, and the most evil of humans who seek to end his quest. 

Death Howl

Available on Feb. 19 for Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Death Howl is a dark fantasy tactical roguelike that blends turn-based grid combat with deck-building mechanics. Players move across compact battlefield maps, weighing positioning and card synergies to survive increasingly difficult encounters. Progression comes through incremental upgrades that reshape each run. Battles reward careful planning, as overextending or mismanaging your hand can quickly end a run.

EA Sports College Football 26

Available on Feb. 19 for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.

EA Sports College Football 26 delivers a new take on college football gameplay with enhanced offensive and defensive mechanics, smarter AI and dynamic play-calling that reflects real strategic football systems. Featuring over 2,800 plays and more than 300 real-world coaches with distinct schemes, it offers expanded Dynasty and Road to Glory modes where team building and personnel decisions matter. On the field, dynamic substitutions, improved blocking and coverage logic make matches feel more fluid and tactical.  

Dice A Million

Available on Feb. 25 for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Dice A Million centers on rolling and managing dice to build toward increasingly higher scores. Each round asks players to weigh risk against reward, deciding when to bank points and when to push for bigger combinations. Progression introduces modifiers and new rules that subtly shift probabilities, making runs feel distinct while keeping the core loop focused on calculated gambling.

Towerborne

Available on Feb. 26 for Game Pass Ultimate, PC, and Premium Game Pass subscribers.

After months in preview, Towerborne will get its full release on Xbox Game Pass. The fast-paced action game blends procedural dungeons and light RPG progression, with players fighting through waves of enemies. You’ll unlock permanent upgrades between runs and equip weapons, spells and talents that change how combat feels each time. The core loop pushes risk versus reward as you dive deeper into tougher floors, adapting builds on the fly, and mastering movement and timing to survive increasingly chaotic battles.

Final Fantasy 3

Available on March 3 for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Another Final Fantasy game is coming to Xbox Game Pass. This time, it’s Final Fantasy 3, originally released on the Famicom (the Japanese version of the NES) back in 1990. Since then, Final Fantasy 3 has been ported to a slew of devices and operating systems, including the Nintendo Wii, iOS and Android. Now, you’ll be able to play on your Xbox or PC with a Game Pass subscription. A new group of heroes is once again tasked with saving the world before it’s covered in darkness. Four orphans from the village of Ur find a Crystal of Light in a secret cave, which tasks them as the new Warriors of Light. They’ll have to stop Xande, an evil wizard looking to use the power of darkness to become immortal. 

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Available on March 3 for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Last year was stacked with amazing games, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was one of the best. Developer Warhorse Studios’ RPG series takes place in the real medieval kingdom of Bohemia, which is now the Czech Republic, and tasks players with a somewhat realistic gaming experience where you have to use the weapons, armor and items from those times. The sequel picks up right after the first game (also on Xbox Game Pass) as Henry of Skalitz is attacked by bandits, which starts a series of events that disrupts the entire country. 

Games leaving Game Pass in February

For February, Microsoft is removing four games. If you’re still playing them, now’s a good time to finish up what you can before they’re gone for good on Feb. 28.

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now, and check out our hands-on review of the gaming service. You can also learn about recent changes to Game Pass.

Continue Reading

Trending