New Account Takeover and Fraudulent Purchases Impersonating Best Buy
Criminals use stolen personal data to create new Best Buy accounts or take over existing ones, making large purchases on store credit or with saved payment methods and having goods shipped to reshipping addresses.
Part of: New Account Takeover
Last reviewed: 8 June 2026
Best Buy is a high-value target for account fraud because its product catalogue skews towards expensive, easily resaleable electronics — laptops, televisions, gaming consoles, and phones. Fraudsters who successfully open a new Best Buy account with a stolen identity, or who take over a genuine account, can make thousands of dollars of purchases before the fraud is detected.
New account fraud uses real identity information — name, address, date of birth, last four of SSN — to pass Best Buy's account-creation and credit-application checks. The information typically comes from data breaches. A fraudster may apply for Best Buy financing in the victim's name and max out the credit line in a single session.
Existing-account takeovers happen through credential stuffing or phishing. Once inside, the attacker changes the shipping address to a reshipping mule address — often another compromised address used to obscure the destination of stolen goods — and places multiple large orders before the account owner notices.
How this scam works on the Best Buy brand
In new-account fraud, a criminal uses verified stolen identity data to create a Best Buy My Best Buy account and apply for Best Buy financing through Citi or TD Bank. They may purchase multiple high-value items for in-store pickup, using fake ID to collect the items — or ship to a reshipping address in another state.
For account takeover, the attacker uses phished or stuffed credentials to log in to an existing My Best Buy account. They add a new shipping address in a different location, change the recovery email, and immediately purchase expensive items with the saved payment method or any Best Buy gift card balance in the account.
Geek Squad service plans that include device exchange options are also exploited: a hijacked account that holds an active Geek Squad Protection plan may allow the attacker to file a bogus replacement claim for an expensive device.
Common red flags
- You receive a Best Buy account creation confirmation or credit application you did not initiate
- A My Best Buy login alert arrives from an unfamiliar device or location
- Your account shows a changed shipping address, changed recovery email, or orders for items you did not place
- A hard credit inquiry from Best Buy's financing partners appears on your credit report without your knowledge
- Best Buy sends a delivery notification for an address you do not recognise
- Your My Best Buy account shows reward points have been redeemed without your action
How to protect yourself
- Enable two-step verification on your My Best Buy account under Account Settings
- Use a unique password for your Best Buy account and review saved payment methods regularly
- Place a credit freeze with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to prevent fraudulent credit applications in your name
- Set up login alerts in your My Best Buy security settings to be notified of new-device logins
- Review your credit report regularly via annualcreditreport.com to spot new accounts you did not open
- If your identity was used to open a fraudulent Best Buy credit account, contact the issuing bank directly to dispute and close it
How to report it
- Contact Best Buy customer service at 1-888-237-8289 and report account fraud; ask them to freeze your account and reverse fraudulent orders
- Report identity theft to the FTC at identitytheft.gov for a tailored recovery plan
- File a complaint at reportfraud.ftc.gov and with the FBI at ic3.gov
- Contact the Best Buy credit issuing bank (Citi or TD Bank) to dispute any fraudulent credit applications
Frequently asked questions
What is new-account fraud in the context of Best Buy?
New-account fraud occurs when a criminal uses stolen identity data to create a Best Buy account or apply for Best Buy financing in your name. Unlike account takeover, you may not have a Best Buy account at all until the fraud is already underway.
How do I know if someone opened a Best Buy credit account in my name?
Check your credit report at annualcreditreport.com for hard inquiries from Best Buy's financing partners (Citi or TD Bank). A credit freeze prevents this from happening in the first place.
Can Best Buy reverse fraudulent orders?
Best Buy's fraud team can cancel orders that have not yet shipped and reverse charges. Contact them immediately if you spot fraudulent activity. For orders already received by the criminal, work with Best Buy and your bank on fraud recovery.