Black Friday has become a must for all online bargain hunters. The period, however, is tempting not only for users interested in various offers and discounts, but also for scammers who, promising phantom “deals”, attempt to steal sensitive data, access credentials or money. The main risks include fake shopping sites, deceptive offers, fake delivery notifications, fake orders, account verification requests, fake coupons and gift cards and, the icing on the cake, artificial intelligence, which has become a powerful weapon in the hands of cyber criminals, capable of generating perfect reviews, cloning voices or images and making fraud more credible.
To defend yourself from all these traps scattered online, it is essential to recognize the warning signs, such as suspicious URLs, offers that are too advantageous, urgent requests for payment or personal data, and messages from unverifiable senders. Prudence is never too much and remains the best weapon to avoid falling victim to various frauds and scams. Let’s see in more detail what Black Friday scams are and how to defend yourself.
How to recognize fake shopping sites
Fake shopping sites are among the most widespread scams these days. According to some data collected by NordVPN, in October alone new counterfeit sites imitating Amazon increased by 232% compared to the previous month, with peaks of 525% for eBay. These fake portals imitate authentic shops in every way, but the login fields collect and send user data directly to the scammers, thus perpetrating real identity theft.
Often these are seemingly minimal details: a slightly different URL (e.g. arnazon.it rather than amazon.it), a poorly designed design, and the like. Once you enter your credentials, you risk credit card theft, limitation of account use or even outright identity theft. To distinguish a safe site from a dangerous one, always check the presence of the padlock near the URL of the site you are purchasing from, be wary of unjustifiably low prices and check that the domains are correct and belong to reliable online stores (if in doubt, do some online research to find out more).
Black Friday sales and fake delivery alerts
Black Friday sale scams leverage urgency and unrealistic discounts. Receiving a pop-up or email with “80-90% off today only” can appeal to some and lead them to click without checking the reliability of the offer. Risks include purchasing non-existent products, receiving counterfeit goods, or being exposed to phishing. Likewise, fake delivery notifications, sent via SMS or email, aim to push users to click on malicious links to solve non-existent payment or package delivery problems. In both cases, to defend yourself you should not click on any link.
Fake orders, account verification and fake coupons
Fake order and account verification scams use social engineering, which is the psychological manipulation of the victim to obtain personal data. Receiving a purchase confirmation that was never made or a message reporting suspicious access to your account generates anxiety and leads to clicking on harmful links. Similarly, fake coupons/gift cards require the entry of data or codes which, if passed on, can be used for identity theft or unauthorized withdrawals. It’s important to remember that no reputable retailer will ask you to share codes (like the ones you receive with two-factor authentication to confirm your identity) or make payments with irreversible tools like instant transfer apps.
Scams made with AI
The use of artificial intelligence is also making online fraud more sophisticated: fake reviews, “cloned” images and voices used to increase the credibility of fraudulent sites or advertisements have made it essential to verify sources and be cautious when sharing your data online. With the advent of AI, not everything you see online could be real, and this also applies to any calls you may receive on your smartphone, where the cloned voice of an acquaintance could be used to make you fall into the trap set by scammers.
