Shoppers warned over Black Friday scams: How to spot if a deal is genuine and common tricks used by fraudsters

This time next week, the biggest shopping event of the year will see people looking to take advantage of Black Friday flash sales.

More people will be online shopping than ever before with sales expected to increase a third this year, according to Adobe Analytics, thanks to the ongoing pandemic.

However, shoppers have been warned to take care when looking for cheap deals, as fraudsters look to exploit households purchasing early Christmas gifts.

Scammers will take the chance to capitalise on Black Friday - with some retailers already offering deals - leaving people at the risk of being duped as they attempt to make panicked buys in order to 'not miss out.'

Black Friday is a major shopping event of the year - something scammers take advantage of

Nearly half of 18 to 24 year-olds have fallen victim to fraud when shopping for Christmas, with 37 per cent losing over £100, a survey of 1,000 adults conducted by McAfee shows.

A further 74 per cent of millennials do not check whether Black Friday deals received via email or text are authentic and trusted before clicking.

The software security firm found that three quarters are concerned that the coronavirus means online scams will be more prevalent, with 46 per cent saying cyber scams become more prevalent during the holiday season.

Despite this, nearly half of people do not change their online activity as a result.

But how do fraudsters find their victims? Often it is through emails and online banners, using the same methods legitimate advertisers do.  

Alternatively, some scammers study their potential future victims and analyse their online behaviour, which can be easily done if the victim is browsing the web unprotected.  

To help shoppers avoid being scammed, This is Money reveals what to look out for when shopping on Black Friday and how you can spot fraud.

What to look out for this Black Friday

NordVPN, a private network service provider, listed five scenarios scammers will be looking to exploit in 2020:

1. Fake invoices: Paying an invoice that looks exactly like a utility one can easily happen when people make more transactions than usual.

This type of scam is called Authorised Push Payment fraud. The victims cannot reverse the payment once they realise they have been conned.

2. Bank notifications: Fraudsters mimic emails sent by banks, claiming that the purchases the victims have made couldn't be processed.

Willing to reinstate the payment, the victims then click on the link and enter their bank credentials on a fake bank website that looks exactly like the genuine one.

3. 'Your order has been cancelled': These scams can go as far as 'Sorry, we are out of stock, and your order has been cancelled. To claim your refund, please click here.'

Once the victim clicks on the link, they are asked to enter the details of the credit card to which they want to receive the refund and end up with their bank accounts being wiped out.

4. Lookalike pages: Amazon, eBay, Google — most users do not spot the discrepancies in the address bar as long as the website design looks legitimate.

They process the payment for the items in their shopping cart and end up robbed.

5. Renewing membership for the purchases you've made: Once you've finished with your purchases, scammers will send you an email claiming that your Amazon Prime subscription is due and the discount cannot be applied.

Therefore, if you want your items to get delivered, you have to renew the subscription. Ultimately, the victim gets tricked into disclosing their bank details.


Due diligence: 74% of millennials don't check if Black Friday deals received via email or text are authentic
Tips to help yourself prevent fraud

While it is scary to think that fraudsters could be looking to scam you next week, there are steps you can take to ensure you are shopping safely online.  

We have put together a list of top tips from McAfee and Action Fraud.  

1. Use multi-factor authentication: By using two factor authentication you can double check the authenticity of digital users and add an additional layer of security to protect personal data and information.

2. Browse with caution: Using tools can help block malware and phishing sites via malicious links.

These can often be ad blockers that are free to download on to your computer and will ensure nothing untoward crops up.  

3. Check website address: Checking a site URL can save shoppers from scams this Black Friday.

Fraudulent sites attempt to look as convincing as possible to seem similar to a website that you may often use.

Such methods include replacing a letter with a close looking one or missing out a letter that may be hard to spot.

Websites ending in .com and .co.uk are the most normal sites to purchase from - beware of .org and .net.

4. Check the website content: When searching for deals, the images of items can sometimes be misleading or very different from what the product actually is.

If you are purchasing from directly from a site as opposed to a third-party page, such as Amazon, check if the site is genuine.

Websites with counterfeit products will often look less professional, with poor quality photos. If there is a padlock by the website URL, it should be safe.

It is also important to pay attention to how the site is written, for example, if there are lots of errors, such as spelling, it may have been put together in a hurry by a fraudster.

5. Payment method: When purchasing online, you should be able to pay by debit,  credit card or an online method like PayPal.

PayPal is often a safe option as scam artists will not be able to access your bank details.

You should never pay by bank transfer online as this could be difficult to recover. Take care to check out the returns policy as well.

Although Black Friday offers some amazing deals, if a usually expensive item is being offered at a large discount by an unknown website, it's most likely too good to be true.

6. Take care with links in emails and texts: Some of the emails or texts you receive about amazing offers may contain links to fake websites, designed to steal your money and personal details.

Not all links are bad, but it's good practice to check by typing the shop's website address manually into the address bar of your browser, or find the website through your search engine.

7. Keep devices up to date: Make sure you install the latest software and app updates.

These usually contain important security updates that can protect you against fraud and identity theft.

Information can easily be found about how to install these updates from Apple, Microsoft and Google.

Even better, just turn on automatic updates so your device will update itself in future.

A spokesperson for Action Fraud, said: 'Black Friday is one of the most anticipated sales events of the year. Unfortunately, criminals will see this as an ideal opportunity to take advantage of shoppers hoping to bag a great deal.

'To protect yourself when shopping online, use a secure payment method, such as a credit card if you have one, as this will offer you more protection if anything goes wrong.

'Always do your research before going through with a purchase and look up reviews of the website or seller you are using.

'Don't be taken in by deals that seem too good to be true – taking a moment to stop and think could help protect you and your money.'


How to spend wisely this lockdown

Atom bank, and Behavioural Psychologist at Durham University, Mario Weick, share their top tips to online spending wisely this lockdown.

1) Focus on a future goal: If you struggle to avoid the temptation of sales, one of the best ways to control your urges is to focus on a future goal that saving your money could lead to, whether that’s saving up for driving lessons or taking a step onto the property ladder.  

2) Avoid shopping when tired or under the influence of alcohol: Browsing your favourite online sites when you’re super tired at the end of a stressful week of work or after a few glasses of wine can lead you to make purchases without fully thinking them through.

3) Reduce your exposure to temptation: One way to alleviate the pressure is to reduce your exposure and avoid the situation, if possible. Something like going for a walk could be a good idea.

If you’re tempted to make a large purchase, just a five minute walk in the fresh air or a ten minute workout video could curb your spending.

If you’re still keen on making the purchase when your heart rate returns to neutral, then it’s unlikely that your body is just craving the endorphins that shopping can bring.

4) Drop the ‘all or nothing’ attitude: When you’re trying to limit your spending, you can feel like going cold-turkey is the only answer. However, evidence suggests that this ‘all or nothing’ attitude is actually harder to maintain than a split-budget approach.

As PriceRunner suggests that sales this Black Friday will be up 14 per cent compared to last year, ahead of Black Friday, set yourself a clear goal of how much you can comfortably afford to spend, and create a list of the areas you are happy to spend on.

5) Spend for long-term happiness: Take the time ahead of Black Friday to really work out what you want to gain from your purchases this month.

Although treating yourself can give you a little boost of joy, make sure you’re not only shopping for the sake of it, or to experience the excitement of grabbing a ‘bargain’.

This chance to reflect on whether your purchase will bring you long-term happiness will give the brain time to digest properly and lower the risk of spending on things that only have a short-term impact.

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.

Black Friday 2020: Expect shorter lines, simpler layouts and piles of pajamas

This holiday season, it’s all about the practical at Carter’s.

The children’s clothing chain has reimagined every part of the shopping experience. Pajamas, T-shirts and sweatpants are displayed prominently, near entrances, at all 800 stores instead of the red party dresses and plaid button-downs that are usually front-and-center this time of year. Stores have wider walkways and more cabinet space to accommodate online orders that will be picked up in-person. Pricing is more clear too: Instead of offering 40 percent off, for example, the company has moved to “more straightforward price points, so the T-shirt table is $6 and the pants are $8,” said Brian Lynch, the company’s president.

“Clarity,” he said, “has become really important.”

The pandemic has reshaped the most important shopping season of the year, forcing retailers to rethink inventory, store layouts and when, even how, they offer their deepest discounts. Many have spent months trying to accommodate a boom in online shopping, but Black Friday weekend requires they also confront their approach to what historically is the busiest stretch of the year for in-store shopping.

Target is allowing shoppers to circumvent front-door lines by reservation, while Walmart has created one-way aisles that lead to some of its most coveted Black Friday deals. There are new rules regarding masks, maximum occupancies and temperature checks. And retailers are grappling with larger challenges too, including an ongoing recession, historically high unemployment, and supply chain challenges that could further damp what is projected to be a tepid shopping season, with sales expected to grow 1 to 1.5 percent, according to consulting firm Deloitte.

The stakes are especially high: More than a dozen major retailers have been tipped into bankruptcy since the pandemic, and experts say they expect a second wave of filings early next year. Many have staked their hopes of survival on the last weeks of the year, in hopes that consumers will be willing to open their wallets more freely than they have since the pandemic forced much of the country to shut down in March.

“We still don’t have a handle on how big of a recession we’re in and how much further we may go,” said Scott Stuart, chief executive of the Turnaround Management Association, a Chicago-based organization that represents restructuring professionals. “This holiday season is that much more important to retailers because of the weightiness of the pandemic. They are hoping to make up for lost time.”

Message is clear: ‘Shop early’

L.L. Bean set up its holiday merchandise in stores earlier than ever, in October, and in larger quantities than usual. Fleece, flannel and fuzzy footwear are expected to be in high demand, executives said, and there won’t be much time to keep replenishing shelves.

“The world is crazy and complex around us: Covid plus election plus cold weather plus darkness is heavy,” said Stephen Smith, chief executive of the Maine-based retailer known for its outdoor apparel.

Add to that a trucking shortage and widespread concern of shipping delays, and he says the company’s message to consumers is unequivocal: “Shop early.”

The company sprang into action in the early days of the pandemic, canceling $80 million worth of fall and winter merchandise, as it tried to figure out what customers might want. It also turned its boot production facility into a mask-sewing operation, where employees churned out 10,000 face masks a day for first responders using fabric originally destined to line dog beds.

By April, customers were beginning to spend again, mostly on items to spruce up their homes and backyards. Hammock receipts grew 150 percent, while sales of stand-up paddleboards doubled and demand for bikes grew fivefold. The company began placing fall and winter orders again, but for items it hadn’t originally intended to stock, such as flannel shirts, snow boots, puffer jackets and kids’ boots.

“We are still airfreighting in some items that we have been chasing, like slippers that will continue to be replenished as needed,” Smith said. “But for the most part, our stores are being stocked as full as possible.”

Carter’s is taking a decidedly different approach. It is offering fewer styles this year, particularly in stores. Executives canceled as many orders as they could early in the pandemic, and packed away what they couldn’t for next year.

“We had to make decisions in April about what we’re going to do for the holidays and decided to take a prudent approach,” Lynch said.

But, he said, executives were surprised to find that consumers began searching for “holiday” and “Christmas” items as early as July. Carter’s went all-in on festive apparel the first week of October, in hopes of winning over families who wanted to spruce up for holiday portraits.

“We realized that if people are going to dress up at all, it’s going to be to take that one picture for their Christmas cards,” said Jeff Jenkins, the company’s executive vice president of global marketing. “They aren’t getting dressed up for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner, or to go visit their family, but they want to have that one moment of normalcy.

After that, though, “it’s all about the warm and cozy, with jammies front and center,” he said.

Grab-and-go mind-set

Gone are the days of leisurely browsing, says Ryan Turf, president of home furnishing brand CB2. These days, shoppers come in with a purpose.

“When people come into our stores, they either want to test something out, get advice, or have products ready to go,” he said. “They’re looking for simplicity and convenience.”

As a result, he said, the company is bundling holiday decor this year so shoppers can quickly grab everything they need to decorate a mantle or a Christmas tree without having to pick out individual ornaments, candles and marble angels. It is also increasing the number of employees devoted to virtual design appointments and contactless pickups at its stores.

The pandemic also has created challenges for retailers that have relied on novel experiences, such as cooking classes, book signings and martinis in the shoe department, to attract customers.

Build-A-Bear stores, where customers can create their own stuffed animals, have typically been popular destinations for birthdays, celebrations and special occasions. But much of the hands-on experience has gotten a makeover in recent months.

In-store birthday parties have been canceled indefinitely and there are fewer face-to-face interactions. Staffers, called “bear builders,” wear custom masks printed with bear mouths. (The company has also started selling masks for stuffed animals, starting at $4.) The “heart ceremony,” in which the customer makes a wish and places a heart inside their stuffed animal, now takes place from afar: The child sets the toy on a pedestal and steps into a box, while the employee gets the bear and stuffs and sews it shut, said chief executive Sharon Price John. The emphasis, she said, is on maintaining a six-foot distance — or, as the store’s signs say, the length of “8 furry friends lined up."

“We had to close all of our stores on March, and then the question was: What can we do to make this terrible situation better?” John said. “We started almost immediately rethinking the store experience and shifting our efforts to e-commerce.”

Before the pandemic, the company, which has typically been based in shopping malls, had been rapidly opening stores on cruise ships and in airports and family-friendly resorts as a way to reach families in search of entertainment. But the pandemic brought almost all of that business to a screeching halt in March, and John says some of those locations are still closed. As a result, it has upgraded its website and offers a number of online subscription boxes, Internet-first toy releases and other virtual events to keep customers engaged.

“Our company is as much about the memories that are being made as they are about the actual Build-A-Bear,” she said. “But we’ve realized that the pandemic doesn’t stop the need for celebrate a kid’s birthday or the holidays, or to send something to grandma.