A former police officer has issued advice to shoppers hoping to grab a bargain during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale. While the event is a great opportunity to get items at reduced prices, you could end up out of pocket if you're not careful.
The event, which began today (October 6) runs for two days and offers customers with a Prime membership the chance to indulge in exclusive offers.
Fraudulent messages circulating
"Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days returns today, running from 6 to 7 October, with 48 hours of exclusive deals for Prime members across all categories including home, kitchen, electronics, toys, fashion, and beauty," Amazon proudly states online. "Prime Big Deal Days savings build on Amazon's everyday low prices, giving members even deeper discounts on products they're already shopping for."
However, customers have been issued an important warning about a fraudulent message circulating via email, text message and WhatsApp. Former police officer Joe Waters claims there is a "hidden scam waiting for you" during the sale, which is catching customers out with a card expiry trick.
"Imagine an email from Amazon saying your Prime payment method has expired - update it now or lose your membership," he hypothesised in a TikTok video. "It has a button and it looks exactly right."
How the scam works
That's precisely how the scam operates, as Joe went on to explain: "The link takes you to a fake page that looks just like Amazon. You type in your card details to fix your membership - and they've [fraudsters] have got them - they've got your details."
The cunning nature of the scam goes even further, with one element that many people appear to "miss". Joe continued: "It works because customers are expecting emails from Amazon this week. It's normal to receive them, so a fake one doesn't look out of place at all."
Joe also pointed out that sale periods are when shoppers tend to be at their "least careful", given their excitement at the prospect of snapping up a great bargain. "They're rushing to grab a deal before it's gone," he said.
Advice for shoppers
And he closed with several clear instructions for his viewers: "Just don't click a link in an email or text about your Amazon account. Do not enter your card details on a page reached from a link. Do not trust it because it looks real."
Joe's alternative advice? Open the Amazon app directly, where any genuine messages will show up in the Message Centre. "So if it's not there, it's fake," he pointed out.
Responding to the warning, one grateful TikTok user posted a screenshot from their phone showing how easily they could have been caught out by the scam. "Look at this," they wrote. "So lucky your video popped up on my For You page."
A second person shared: "I have had a WhatsApp message last week supposedly from them [Amazon]."
A third backed up Joe's advice: "The timing makes these so believable. Send your parents a heads-up before they get the email. A little warning can save a lot of trouble."
While a fourth TikTok user said: "Simple, do not click on any link. Go direct to Amazon app or website and check your account."
