Black Friday Is Becoming 'Black Fraud Day' — How to Spot Scams and Shop Safely

Criminals have been preparing for months: the traps are set, the snares are waiting and all they need now are clicks. What many expect to be the busiest shopping day of the year is also shaping up to be one of the riskiest for online shoppers, with a surge in fake storefronts, phishing campaigns and AI-enhanced scams.

How scammers are gearing up

Security platforms report dramatic spikes in counterfeit retailer pages in the run-up to the sales: fake Amazon storefronts have risen by more than 200% and fraudulent eBay sites by over 500%. Phishing emails aimed at bargain hunters have increased by more than 620% in recent weeks. A global survey of over 30,000 people across 185 countries found that roughly 68% of respondents cannot reliably spot a fake website.

Attackers are taking advantage of new tools — including artificial intelligence — to automate and refine scams, producing convincing product pages, checkout forms and promotional messages that are increasingly difficult to distinguish from legitimate retailer sites.

"Scammers take advantage of the increased volume of transactions by creating fraudulent offers, often luring unsuspecting shoppers to fake e-commerce sites where their payment details are compromised," said Dr Megha Kumar, chief product officer at data protection firm CyXcel.

Common tricks to watch for

• Fake storefronts: Bogus websites that mimic trusted brands and harvest payment or identity data.
• Phishing emails and texts: Messages that pressure you to click a link for 'special deals' or 'delivery updates'.
• Fraudulent adverts and promoted posts: Ads on social platforms that send shoppers to copycat sites.
• Price manipulation: Some sellers inflate prices before the sale to advertise larger discounts.

How to spot a fake site or phishing attempt

• Check the URL carefully — watch for subtle misspellings, extra words, or unusual domains.
• Look for HTTPS and a padlock, but remember these alone don’t guarantee legitimacy.
• Hover over links (on desktop) to see the real destination before clicking.
• Be suspicious of emails or texts that demand immediate action or contain spelling and grammar errors.
• If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is — verify prices using trackers like PriceLasso or CamelCamelCamel.

Practical steps to shop safely

• Buy from verified retailer websites or official apps — if in doubt, navigate to the retailer’s site manually rather than clicking an ad link.
• Use credit cards or virtual cards and avoid direct bank transfers; they often offer better fraud protection.
• Avoid making purchases on public Wi‑Fi; use a secure connection or your mobile data instead.
• Enable two‑factor authentication (2FA) on shopping and payment accounts where available.
• Monitor bank and card statements closely and report suspicious transactions immediately.

According to industry reporting, total fraud losses recently topped £1.1 billion in one year, underscoring how effective these scams can be. With attackers continually evolving their tactics, experts say technical defenses matter but so does user behaviour.

"This isn’t just about detecting malicious links. Instead it’s about rewriting behaviour," said David Higgins, chief technology officer at CyberArk. "Phishing remains the leading cause of fraud because it exploits human instinct. Real resilience comes from combining strong identity controls with a culture that encourages people to pause, question and verify before they click."

Stay alert this Black Friday: slow down, verify sources, and use the tools available to protect your payments and identity. A few extra checks can save you from a difficult, time-consuming recovery if something goes wrong.