Black Friday: the 10 scams shoppers need to watch for as Amazon sales start

• Scammers use Black Friday as an opportunity to lure in potential victims. 
• An expert has warned shoppers need to remain vigilant as the sales begin. 
• These are 10 scams you need to watch out for in particular. 

Black Friday is the perfect time to grab a bargain ahead of the Christmas rush. But amid all the discounts, you need to be on the watch out for scams. 

The November sales are often the target of criminals, who use the lure of great savings as an opportunity to scam victims. Which means that it is extra important for shoppers to remain vigilant - especially as Amazon’s sale is about to begin on November 21. 

Joe Davies, founder and CEO at FATJOE explained: “Scams explode during Black Friday because scammers know that people are much more likely to act impulsively when discounts are to be had. Data from Starling bank in the UK suggests that nine out of ten people overspend during the sale, with the average person blowing £511 more than they intend. 

“Meanwhile, over the pond, around one in four Americans scammed while shopping online fell prey to criminals during a Black Friday event. Those aren’t good odds!” 

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Fake retail websites

Davies explained: “Fake retail websites were a significant issue we uncovered when looking into the Black Friday scam data. Scammers are creating entirely fraudulent shopping portals to steal credit and debit card information from unsuspecting victims. 

“What’s more, these websites are often hyper-realistic. Scammers make them look the same as legitimate websites, often mimicking the most popular e-commerce stores. To avoid them, I recommend checking the URL at the top of the browser window and not clicking links in posts or email messages.”

Social media phishing

“Social media phishing was another issue that came to our attention during the research,” Davies reveals. “With these, scammers will post deals on social media with links forwarding shoppers to fraudulent portals that then collect their financial information.”

“Our advice is for shoppers to use their common sense. Usually, something feels off with these posts. Scammers often use sales tactics, like creating a sense of urgency or scarcity, pressuring users into making rash decisions.”

Amazon's Black Friday sales start on November 21. Photo: HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images | HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images

Counterfeit goods

Davies added: “Unfortunately, Black Friday is also a time when the number of counterfeit goods in circulation also rises. Scammers capitalise on people’s desire for luxury products by offering discounts on fakes.”

“Again, my advice here is simple: if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Most designer brands keep their prices high to maintain exclusivity. Fifty percent off is highly unusual unless it is through a trusted channel.”

Fake order confirmations

“At FATJOE, we’re also warning people about fake order confirmations,” he explained. 

“These occur when scammers send people spurious messages confirming an order they never made. Users click on the link and, lo-and-behold, get forwarded to a website that asks for payment details.”

Non-delivery scams

“Non-delivery scams work in the same way,” Davies said. “Scammers send a fake delivery report hoping curious users will click on the link to get to the bottom of the mix-up.”

Gift card scams

He added: “We also found a high likelihood of gift card scams around Black Friday, simply because of the sheer number of people buying presents. Here, the idea is to get shoppers to sign up for gift cards on fake portals mimicking trusted brands where they type in their login credentials or credit card info.”

Account verification scams

“Account verification scams work in much the same way,” Davies said. “Scammers send a message to users saying something like ‘we’ve noticed a suspicious login attempt on your account.’ Then, shoppers follow the link, going through all the usual stages to secure their accounts except, this time, it is doing the precise opposite.”

Fake delivery notifications

“Scammers also send shoppers fake delivery notifications hoping to extract information along the same lines. They’re not particularly original!” Davies explained. “Usually, consumers receive a fake SMS with a dubious ‘track your shipment’ URL. In reality, this is just a standard phishing link forwarding them to a spoofed domain.”

In-store WiFi scams

Davies said: “Our research also warns shoppers about using public WiFi over the Black Friday season. Hackers can intercept information while using these networks, taking advantage of man-in-the-middle vulnerabilities. Because of this, we caution users against checking in-store prices unless on a regular 5G data connection.”

Incorrect bank details scams

Davies concluded: “Finally, we found some scammers were using an incorrect bank details swindle. Here, criminals send a message to shoppers saying that there has been a problem with their transaction from a store they recently bought from. The message’s link then contains a fake portal to enter bank details.”

Are you concerned about Black Friday scams this year? Share your thoughts by emailing m: [email protected].