After being canceled over the summer due to the pandemic, Amazon Prime Day, one of the biggest shopping events of the year, is finally here!

Not only is this a big day for shoppers looking to cash in on major savings, but it’s also a big day for scammers and hackers looking to steal personal information.

Ian Marlow, the President of the Boca Raton based cybersecurity firm FitechGelb, says just within the past month there’s been an increase in the number of suspicious domains registered with the word ‘Amazon’ in it; an indication that hackers are hoping to catch shoppers off guard by using copy-cat websites nearly identical to the retail giant.

Marlow says it’s crucial you make sure the website is first legit before making any purchases. That means recognizing the little lock icon next to the URL in the browser bar. It’s also a safer move if you make your purchases directly off the Amazon app.

When it comes time to pay, he says to stick with credit card transactions.

“Do not pay with debit cards online; that is a direct link to your bank account and if money is fraudulently taken out, it will take you two-plus weeks to get that money back. So use your credit cards, use them for protection for what they’re made and be smart about where you purchase.”

Marlow says it’s also important to share minimum information about yourself as most legit online retail stores will never ask for your social security number or birthday.

Finally, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it likely is.

“If a price is too low like if Amazon is selling something for $100 and one of these other random sites that you’ve never heard of, is selling it for $19.99, there is a problem. When you start seeing numbers like 70, 80 percent less you really have to be suspect.”

The Amazon Prime Day shopping event will be October 13 and October 14.