Safer Shopping During Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days

Lisa Swanson, CEO of the BBB of Central NE, discusses Amazon shopping scam prevention.

By-Hank Stolz
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Worcester, MA-Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days are back October 6 & 7th and now there’s a new tool available to help shoppers stay safe. Lisa Swanson, CEO of the BBB of Central NE, tells us about it. 

Amazon has introduced a free tool that allows customers to check whether a suspicious communication actually came from the company. So, before you respond to a message claiming to be from Amazon, take a moment to make sure it’s really Amazon.

Lisa tells us how it works. Instead of responding to the suspicious message or clicking a link you’re unsure about, Amazon now offers customers 3 easy ways to verify if that communication is legitimate:

1. Ask Alexa for Shopping: Open the Amazon app or website, sign in and submit the suspicious message through Alexa for Shopping.
2. Email it: Forward the message or send a screenshot to verify@amazon.com. Anyone can use this option, even without an Amazon account.
3. Use Amazon’s verification form: Visit Amazon’s website, navigate to Help, and select the option to verify a suspicious call or message.

As Lisa says,  “A great deal isn’t really a great deal if it leads you to a fake website or convinces you to buy something you didn’t need.” If you encounter a suspected scam, report it to BBB Scam Tracker at BBB.org/ScamTracker to help warn other consumers.