With the Black Friday sales in full swing, the online marketplace has become a hotspot for scammers and fraudsters. These bad actors are deploying increasingly sophisticated tactics using advanced tech like AI making it harder than ever to distinguish between legitimate deals and cleverly masked scams
To help you shop safely and confidently this holiday season, here are seven common types of scams you should watch out for with solutions to avoid these scams.
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1. Fake Discounted Price
Some websites including well-known ecommerce sites like Amazon advertise fake discount prices. Sellers often advertise heavy discounts during Black Friday but provide the same prices that were available before the sale.
Solution: It is easy to avoid fake discounts on such products by checking the historical price using browser extensions like Keepa.
2. Fake E-Shops:
Another way scammers take advantage of the Black Friday sale is by creating fake websites that mimic well-known e-commerce brands. These sites are designed to look authentic, complete with realistic logos, layouts, and product offerings.
Tempted by deals, many shoppers fall victim, unknowingly providing their payment details to these fraudulent merchants and ultimately losing their money.
Solution: Stay vigilant and double-check website URLs, payment methods, and reviews before making any purchase to avoid falling prey to these scams.
3. Smishing
Fraudsters use “smishing” scams—sending fake text messages or emails—to trick users into sharing personal information. These messages often claim there’s an issue with a payment or require an additional payment to resolve a supposed problem. Their goal? To steal your money or collect your sensitive information, which can later be used in more sophisticated attacks.
Solution: Always verify sender’s details while dealing with these kind of messages and avoid clicking on suspicious links. Also be cautious while providing your personal details by checking the authenticity of the message that it is sent by a genuine sender and not by any random type generated email.
4. Social Media
Scammers often use social media ads to target victims, personalizing fraudulent offers based on users’ interests and purchase history. These ads can appear highly convincing, leading many to fall for scams.
Solution: Always verify ads and messages directly with official accounts and social media handle of the brands, and avoid clicking on suspicious links.
5. Search Engines
Scammers creates fake links that appear in the search engine results, sometimes as sponsored ads, pretending to sell popular products. Clicking on these links can lead to fraudulent websites designed to steal money or personal information.
According to McAfee’s 2024 Global Holiday Shopping Scam Study, one in three Americans has fallen for holiday scams, with 58% losing money.
Solution: Always check for website’s authenticity and stick to trusted retailers.
6. Scammers Using Artificial Intelligence
Criminals are creating large scale attacks in less time these days with the help of generative AI. It has become relative quick, easy, and economical for scammers to create deepfake videos and audios of famous personalities. You will see your favorite stars selling popular products and services – sometimes holding or posing with it asking you to buy them.
Elon Musk, known for his outspoken social media presence, is frequently targeted by scammers using deepfakes to promote fraudulent schemes. In one recent scam, a verified YouTube channel used an AI-generated Musk to endorse an investment plan linked to a fake website.
Solution: Be cautious of unfamiliar contacts via email, phone, or social media. Scammers often pressure you to act quickly showing time sensitive deals. Always pause and verify through trusted sources like official websites. Avoid clicking on suspicious links and using irreversible payment methods like cash or gift cards; opt for reversible options like bank transfers.
7. Offline Stores Just Changing Labels
People all over TikTok have been sharing videos and pictures of things supposedly being on sale. However, they show items advertised as ‘Black Friday deals’ simply having a new sticker placed over the old one—revealing the so-called discount is the same as the old price.
Solution: Avoid impulsive purchases based on seemingly limited-time discounts. The price may remain the same after the sale or even drop further later. Patience can save you from unnecessary spending.
Stay safe this Black Friday and double or even triple check all deals before you buy anything online or offline. Stay vigilant, ask for friends’ advice, and don’t fall scams and frauds.
