McAfee: Prime Day event also prime time for scammers
With Amazon’s four-day Prime Day sales event here, the prevalence of online scams has increased.
That’s according to a new report from online protection leader McAfee, which found that more than 36,000 fake Amazon sites and over 75,000 delivery and Amazon impersonation scam texts were reported leading up to Prime Day.
McAfee says that this year, 81% of Americans say they plan to shop online during Prime Day, making it a major opportunity for both retailers and scammers. While roughly nine-in-10 (89%) report taking steps to stay safe online, nearly two-thirds (65%) of those surveyed admit they are not fully confident in their ability to spot a scam.
While older adults tend to be more cautious, younger shoppers are far more likely to take risks on unfamiliar brands, especially on social media. Nearly a quarter of 18–34-year-olds say they are willing to buy from unknown retailers if the deal looks good, with 22% of 18–24-year-olds and 21% of 25–34-year-olds ready to click.
Nearly a third of young shoppers say they’ve encountered deepfake influencer scams during past sale events, and of those, 71% say either they or someone they know lost money. With more than a quarter (29%) of shoppers browsing TikTok Shop and 10% using Instagram Shopping, these social platforms are both a go-to for deals and a growing risk, according to McAfee.
Artificial intelligence is making online scams much easier, according to the report. Top scams this Prime Day include fake Amazon websites, deepfake videos of influencers who appear to sell or endorse products, and a surge in fake Amazon notification texts. These Amazon impersonation messages, which include delivery updates, refunds and tariff charges, are designed to create a sense of urgency that pressures people to click before they think, according to McAfee.
Nearly one-in-three Americans admit they’ve clicked a suspicious link or made a purchase while multitasking or shopping late at night. Nearly four-in-10 (37%) say a scam, or the fear of one, has stopped them from checking out entirely.
However, McAfee says that some consumers are taking action ahead of online summer sales events. Nearly half (45%) say they’d consider using a scam detection tool to add peace of mind to their Prime Day experience, and nearly a quarter (24%) say they “absolutely would.”
[READ MORE: Survey: Product reviews to influence most Prime Day purchases]
“As inflation and tariffs push more people to hunt for deals, scammers are using generative AI to craft scams that are more polished, personal, and persuasive,” said Abhishek Karnik, head of threat research at McAfee. “From retailer impersonations and hyper-realistic delivery text scams, these threats are getting harder to spot. The good news is that the tools to fight back are getting smarter too.”
A McAfee survey, which focused on the topic of retail event scams and the impact of these scams on consumers, was conducted online in June 2025. More than 5,000 adults in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and India over the age of 18 participated in the study.
