Amazon Prime Day: Racine, Kenosha residents urged to use caution to avoid scams

RACINE, KENOSHA COUNTIES — Christmas in July arrived Tuesday and Wednesday, July 11 and 12, with Amazon Prime Day and Racine and Kenosha residents are being urged to exercise caution to avoid getting scammed.

In a story from Time Magazine, the Better Business Bureau warns shoppers to be sure they’re clicking the “Prime” button at the top of search results pages to avoid getting scammed by look-alike sites. This isn’t a foolproof method but certainly reduces the likelihood of a consumer getting duped.

Another tip is to be sure buyers are reading reviews. An NBC Bay Area report points out that nearly every Prime Day Deal has reviews, so products without reviews should be a warning for a possible scam.

Even after ensuring items are legitimate offers and completing secure checkout, delivery is the final step in avoiding loss. Porch pirates are busiest during the holidays but well-known discount events like Amazon Prime Day can trigger increased activity during otherwise quieter seasons.

Prime Day safety tips from RPD

Sgt. Kristi Wilcox from the Racine Police Department offers these tips:

• Instead of the front door, be sure delivery instructions include drop-off at a more inconspicuous door.
• If receiving packages at work is an option, use that address.
• Have packages delivered to someone else who is at home during the day.
• Utilize an Amazon pick-up location. There are about a dozen locations between Racine and Kenosha counties where customers can pick up their Prime Day purchases.

Beware of calls and emails

The most prevalent scams in which customers get ensnared, though, involve Amazon Prime membership and order confirmation.

Scott Knapp, Amazon’s director of worldwide buyer risk prevention, told Time Magazine that shoppers receive calls and emails telling them to confirm payment information because their Prime membership expired or their order didn’t go through.

“(Neither) Amazon nor any reputable business ask for those details in that way,” he added. “We sell a lot of stuff, and people know the Amazon name. Bad actors try to take advantage of that.”

The good news for Prime Day shoppers is that Amazon does offer refunds in the case of scams as well as if porch pirates make off with their goods.

Even still, Wilcox encourages local customers to exercise caution when ordering certain items, especially if packages have been stolen before.

“Before having anything delivered that costs a lot or is valued at maybe more than $100, maybe consider having that package delivered to a more secure location,” she concluded.