Warrington shoppers gearing up for Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are being warned to stay alert to scams, with the town home to a major Amazon distribution centre.
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days returns on 6 and 7 October, with thousands of shoppers across Warrington expected to take advantage of promotional offers – and potentially receive a flurry of order confirmations, delivery notifications and account messages.
But consumer scam protection experts are warning that the increase in legitimate Amazon activity can also create opportunities for fraudsters.
TrendLife’s Scam Hunting team found that around the previous Prime Day event in June, 89.7% of the Amazon-related scam activity it detected in the UK appeared just before the event began.
That warning is particularly relevant for Amazon customers in Warrington, where the company operates a major distribution centre and deliveries are a familiar sight across the town.
With more people placing orders during Prime Day, scammers can exploit the expectation of receiving parcels by sending convincing-looking fake delivery messages.
TrendLife detected 17 UK scams impersonating delivery companies including Evri, Royal Mail and DPD, with 58.8% appearing during the Prime Day window.
Common messages claimed that a delivery had been missed, a signature was required or an address needed updating within 12 or 24 hours.
Some messages have also asked recipients to reply “Y” before a link is activated – a tactic which can be used to get around protections designed to block links from unknown senders.
The growth of generative artificial intelligence is also making it easier for fraudsters to produce convincing fake websites, emails and promotional material.
TrendLife says 47% of UK adults struggle to distinguish genuine online offers from AI-generated fakes, increasing the challenge for shoppers looking for genuine Prime Day bargains.
Another potential route for scammers is fake Amazon Prime membership alerts.
These can claim that a Prime payment has failed or that an account is about to be cancelled, with more sophisticated versions designed to steal Amazon login details, personal information and payment details.
TrendLife Consumer Partnerships Lead Brett Parker is urging shoppers to take a moment before clicking on unexpected messages.
His advice includes:
- Go directly to Amazon – if an email or text refers to a deal, payment problem or account warning, open the official Amazon app or website yourself rather than following the link.
- Check deliveries through official channels – use Amazon’s own order tracking or the delivery company’s official website or app.
- Never reply “Y” to activate a link – treat such messages as a red flag.
- Don’t provide financial information unexpectedly – contact the company directly using verified details if you are unsure.
- Check email addresses and website URLs carefully – fraudulent websites can closely copy legitimate branding.
- Use security tools where appropriate to check whether links and websites are genuine before entering personal or payment information.
“Prime Day is a great opportunity to pick up a bargain, but where there’s excitement, urgency and lots of people ready to spend, scammers won’t be far behind,” said Parker.
“Fraudsters know shoppers are looking for limited-time deals and expecting more emails and delivery updates than usual, and they will use that to their advantage.
“A fake payment warning, missed delivery text or account alert can look completely believable when you’re already waiting for an order.
“The best way to stay safe is to slow down, stick to official sources and take a few moments to verify before you click.”
For Warrington shoppers, the message is simple: if you are expecting an Amazon parcel following a Prime Day purchase, don’t assume every delivery text or email you receive is genuine.
A few seconds spent checking through the official Amazon app or website could prevent a bargain from becoming an expensive mistake.
