IN recent years, Black Friday (on Nov 24) has extended beyond the US and has become a global shopping event, with many countries participating in the tradition of offering discounts and promotions on this day. Online retailers also participate in Black Friday, and in some cases, the event has been extended to cover the entire weekend, culminating in Cyber Monday, which focuses on online deals.
This has resulted in scammers starting to take advantage of the increased online and in-store activity during Black Friday, using various tactics to exploit shoppers.
Proxyrack's fraud analyst, Ariana Bago, said "during this busy weekend of shopping, I would highly recommend that you take time to consider the legitimacy of your purchases. Taking this time could be the difference between falling for a scam and a successful purchase. Black Friday is a great time for deals and saving money, however, I must stress that you remain safe and vigilant during this time of spending."
Here are 5 common Black Friday scams to be aware of and how to avoid them:
1. Suspicious links: This could be anything from an email, text message or online advert - if it doesn't seem legitimate, don't click it. There are a few ways you can check the legitimacy of a text or email - clicking on the contact information of the sender can provide insight; if the email address or phone number of the sender doesn't match up with the company they're associating themselves with, it's likely fake.
2. Browser extensions: Around Black Friday a lot of "money-saving" browser extensions start appearing" Ariana warns "be cautious with these, some are legitimate but some have been developed by scammers for phishing data. In short, avoid installing any new browser extensions relating to finances around this time of year - the most legitimate Black Friday savings will be found through the company websites directly. If you do opt to install extensions, be sure to do your research - putting the name through sites like TrustPilot can help identify any suspicions.
3. Billing scams: Scammers might send you a message claiming to be a company you've bought from, telling you that your payment has not gone through and that you need to update your payment information. They might back this up with a sense of urgency, claiming that you will miss out on the deal. If you are faced with a message like this, it's best to contact the company directly to ensure that you aren't sending your details to an external source." says Ariana.
4 - Unfamiliar websites: It's easy to get lost in the deals of Black Friday, but it's important to check where you're ordering from. A lot of scammers will create fake websites claiming to sell products for an "amazing" price, when in fact they are using the opportunity to retrieve your data and bank details. Before purchasing anything from a site you don't recognise, search the name on TrustPilot to ensure they're a legitimate seller, but ultimately it's best to avoid unfamiliar sites, especially around this time of year.
5 - Verification code scams: This scam is used by hackers to get through a two-factor authentication put in place to protect your data - they may pose as your bank or a company you've recently purchased from, claiming that you need to confirm a verification code to finalise a purchase. These scammers will often already have your password and username, but with the verification, will be able to access more of your data.
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