Avoid These Sneaky Black Friday Scams

Black Friday’s appeal has become part of holiday tradition: shoppers chase steep discounts, retailers launch aggressive promotions, and digital platforms promise convenience. But the same excitement that fuels record spending invites fraudsters who use urgency, brand familiarity, and digital misdirection. Each year, scammers refine their methods, targeting consumers when they are distracted, emotional, or rushed by limited-time deals.

The shopping season compresses travel, gifting, and social commitments into a few frantic weeks. Scammers know that shoppers compare prices quickly, skim emails, and click links without scrutinizing sources. Fraudsters benefit from volume, anonymity, and the belief that a once-a-year bargain is worth a gamble. The following are seven sneaky ways scammers rob money from buyers this holiday shopping season.

The Scams

1.) Fake Deal Emails and Imitation Websites: Fraud often begins with a perfectly timed message that looks like a legitimate promotion from a familiar retailer. Imitator websites mirror branding, colors, and logos, but request bank transfers or cryptocurrency instead of secure card payments. URLs are slightly altered, and key details such as privacy policies or mailing addresses are missing, signaling a trap designed to capture personal information and money.

2.) The Rise of Counterfeit Confirmations: Scammers also exploit the stress of tracking packages. Fake order confirmations arrive by email or text, mimicking purchases people barely remember. Clicking the link can download malware or redirect to a phishing page that prompts users to “verify” credentials, quietly handing over financial and login information.

3.) The Social Media Mirage: Influencer posts, viral ads, and pop-up storefronts dominate TikTok, Instagram, and online marketplaces. Consumers report receiving cheap knockoffs or nothing at all after paying for heavily discounted items that look genuine in polished videos. Quick buys, friendly messaging, and “limited stock” slogans make the scam feel personal rather than transactional.

4.) The Social Media Mirage: Cybersecurity experts warn that the volume of deceptive Black Friday activity has become so overwhelming that the event has earned a new name: “Black Fraud Day.” Artificial intelligence tools allow scammers to generate realistic brand sites, fake businesses, and digital storefronts in minutes. These facades go beyond typos and pixelated logos, replicating entire retail ecosystems built to steal money.

5.) Scams That Pose as Loved Ones: Fraud has become more human, not just more technical. Phone callers clone the voice of a child or grandchild, asking for help purchasing gifts or paying urgent fees. Criminals gather personal details in advance and construct believable stories, leveraging emotional bonds to bypass rational skepticism. The target is not just the wallet, but the instinct to care.

6.) When Payment Methods Become the Trap: Fraudsters avoid credit and debit cards because they come with consumer protections, chargebacks, and accountability. Instead, they push shoppers toward bank transfers, Zelle, or cryptocurrency, creating irreversible transactions that look safe until the money is gone. Victims discover there is no customer support and no dispute to file.

7.) Physical Delivery Scams Enter the Game: Even offline shopping vulnerabilities are being exploited. Packages arrive at doorsteps without return information, encouraging recipients to scan QR codes to “identify the sender” or “start a return.” The scam redirects users to malware or phishing pages, mirroring online tactics through physical objects. It is deception disguised as surprise.

Fighting Back With Digital Literacy

Banks and credit card companies can sometimes recover funds, so victims should contact them immediately and report suspicious transactions. Authorities encourage consumers to file fraud complaints with official agencies, forward scam emails to reporting services, and preserve evidence such as URLs, order confirmations, and correspondence to support investigations.

Security agencies recommend slowing down, verifying URLs, and ignoring demands for urgency. Suspicious emails can be reported, questionable texts should be deleted, and payments should remain on trusted platforms with consumer protections. The safest Black Friday deal is not the one with the biggest discount—it is the one that does not cost you your identity.