Shoppers hunting for holiday deals could land on a counterfeit website designed to steal their money and personal information, the Better Business Bureau warns.

Bryan Oglesby, director of public relations and outreach for the BBB serving West Florida, said scammers use social media ads and search engine advertising to steer people toward sites that impersonate familiar retailers. The addresses are often nearly identical to the real thing, with an extra letter or a tiny change.

One tactic can expose more than one card. Oglesby called it the “double payment credit card trap.” A fake checkout page claims a payment was declined or funds were insufficient, a ploy that can put several cards at risk.

The scale is growing. Check Point Research reports a 29% increase in newly created Amazon-related phishing and scam domains compared with last year, with roughly 1 in 15 flagged as malicious.

Artificial intelligence is making the fakes harder to spot. Oglesby said the old tips, such as watching for poor grammar and other telltale signs, no longer hold up. A padlock or HTTPS in the address bar is not proof of legitimacy either, since scammers can use encrypted connections too.

The BBB recommends that shoppers look for a business name, address, and contact information; search the company’s name alongside “scam” or “complaint”; and take time to research sellers before buying. Suspected scams can be reported to the BBB’s Scam Tracker. Anyone who entered card information on a fraudulent site should contact their card issuer right away and review statements for unauthorized charges. St. Petersburg police are also warning consumers about the surge.

As new scam sites multiply, shoppers bear the practical burden of verifying before buying.

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