How to avoid getting scammed during Black Friday
While Black Friday is not officially until 27 November, many UK retailers tend to start their pre-Christmas sales early to avoid a large crush of shoppers or their websites being overloaded. However, AI is making Black Friday scams more difficult than ever to spot.
Originating in the United States, Black Friday is a massive post-Thanksgiving shopping event where stores slash prices and offer special promotions - due to the expansion of global online shopping it is now a worldwide e-commerce and high-street tradition which can start in early or mid-November.
However, the rush to find bargains can lead shoppers to exercise less caution and make them more vulnerable to falling for a scam.
Research by Barclays finds Black Friday shoppers will spend an average of £430 in the upcoming sales, up £91 from last year - though it also claims only 36% of consumers say they are confident in spotting an AI-generated scam.
Of all the generations, Gen Z consumers aged 18-27 are the most likely to have lost money to a shopping scam or know someone who has (35%), which is why a third of shoppers of that age say they avoid online shopping, higher than any other age group.
In the past, scam websites and emails were easy to spot - bad spelling, poor gammar and dodgy coding were all signs to be suspicious - though with the evolution of AI means those tell-tale signs are a thing of the past, exemplified by the Halloween scarefest scam we reported last month.
With the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) claiming UK shoppers lost £11.8 million due to online shopping fraud during the 2024-25 shopping season, consumers are being offered advice to avoid losing money to scammers.
Vix Leyton from Think Money says there are some tactics used by scammers which should raise concerns:
The closing down sale
You see a tale on social media of an independent shop closing down due to money troubles so they are selling everything at a heavily discounted price. In reality, it's a fake sob-story designed to cause a sympathy purchase.
Struggling business owners asking for support
Similar to the closing down sale, a small business owners who says they have spent months creating beautiful handmade items which aren't selling. Which? found a number of these are AI-generated influencers trying to tug on the heartstrings.
Fake websites impersonating similar brands
Why create your own website when you can just pretend to be another established business? AI can quickly replicate a brand and make it look very convincing. The advice is to check the web address to ensure the site is legitimate.
Fake reviews and photographs
A website with no real history may use fraudulent photos and reviews to make it seem more popular and legitimate in order to gain trust from a shopper. Generally a website will not have glowing reviews through and through, so should be treated with some suspicion.
The never-ending closing down sale
Some websites may say it is a clearance sale so order quickly to grab that deal. However, that sale is still going weeks or months later. If it says there is only a handful of products remain or the business is permantly closing at midnight, be wary.
OxCyber says if the advert or website is trying to create a fake sense of urgency, such as claiming there is only limited stock or the offer ends in minutes, pause and take time to think rather than making a hasty payment due to the fear of missing out.
“Scammers are adapting fast, using increasingly sophisticated tactics to exploit shoppers during peak sales periods," says Kirsty Adams, Fraud and Scams Expert at Barclays.
"Acting quickly without checking can lead to serious financial loss. My advice is simple: pause, verify, and never share sensitive information unless you’re certain the retailer is genuine.”
The NCSC offers advice to avoid getting caught out by a scam website:
Check the shop is legitimate: check reviews on trusted websites before you buy.
Secure your important online accounts: turn on 2-step verification (2SV) for all your important accounts to instantly toughen up your online security, even if your password has been compromised.
Check out and pay securely: check out ‘as a guest’ if you can, don’t allow the website to store your bank/card details. Never pay by direct bank transfer and use a credit card (if you have one). If you use payment services such as PayPal, Apply Pay or Google Pay, check what cover they provide.
Beware of delivery scams: if you receive a message or a phone call about a delivery, stop and think if the request is genuine. Don’t click links in unexpected messages. Check a request is genuine by contacting the organisation directly.
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