Black Friday Scams: How Bargain Hunters Are Being Targeted by Sophisticated Fraud
Black Friday may promise substantial savings on Christmas shopping, but it has increasingly become fertile ground for cybercriminals, with one expert going so far as to label it “Black Fraud Day”. As inboxes fill with promotional deals, consumers can easily be lured by an apparently exceptional offer from a familiar retailer, only to discover too late that the website is fraudulent and the promised item will never arrive.
This year, Black Friday falls on 28 November, though many retailers begin promoting discounts several weeks earlier. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued a warning urging consumers to remain vigilant and to halt any transaction that appears suspicious. Cybersecurity firm Darktrace reports a sharp increase in malicious emails mentioning Black Friday throughout October, with a significant spike occurring towards the end of the month.
Jonathon Ellison, Director for National Resilience at the NCSC, warns that criminals exploit heightened consumer spending by impersonating trusted brands and popular products, encouraging people to click harmful links or disclose sensitive financial information. The growing accessibility of artificial intelligence has further enhanced fraudsters’ capabilities, allowing them to produce highly convincing fake websites and business identities in minutes.
Adrian Ludwig of Tools for Humanity notes that AI enables scammers to fabricate realistic small businesses, complete with professional imagery, staff profiles and polished online storefronts, making detection increasingly difficult.
Common Warning Signs
Consumer group Which? advises shoppers to be wary of prices that appear significantly lower than those offered by reputable retailers. Fraudulent sites often lack basic credibility indicators such as privacy policies, contact details or an “about us” section.
A major red flag is being asked to pay via bank transfer or cryptocurrency rather than credit or debit card, as these payment methods offer little to no consumer protection and are commonly used in organised financial crime.
Scammers may also use subtly altered web addresses, such as replacing letters with similar-looking numbers (for example, “J0hn Lewis” instead of “John Lewis”), to mislead hurried shoppers. These sites frequently apply artificial urgency, claiming limited stock or stating that deals will expire within minutes to pressure consumers into acting without due diligence.
What Consumers Should Do
The NCSC advises forwarding suspicious emails to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service and sending questionable text messages to 7726. Victims who suffer financial loss should report incidents to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting centre.
Above all, consumers should remain cautious and pause before completing any purchase that raises even slight concern. Using a credit card where possible provides additional protection under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, offering recourse if goods fail to arrive or are misrepresented.
As Black Friday approaches, heightened awareness and careful scrutiny remain the most effective defences against increasingly sophisticated online fraud.
