Black Friday Scams: Five Tricks Shoppers Should Pay Attention To

Millions of shoppers will be looking to grab a bargain this Black Friday, whether online or on the high street.

Up to one in three people will be looking for deals in the Black Friday sales, with customers in the UK expected to spend a whopping £233,300 every minute.

Nationwide Building Society predicts Black Friday will be its busiest day ever and forecasts a nine per cent increase in transactions compared to last year.

But fraud experts warn that criminals are preparing for their own purchases and will try to snatch buyers’ financial information.

Risk analysts at fraud prevention firm LexisNexis Risk Solutions say clients should be “very vigilant” as the Black Friday bonanza begins.

We reveal the five Black Friday scams you should watch out for and how you can protect yourself.

1. Online Account Takeover Scam

These scams occur when a criminal takes over another person’s online account and uses stolen passwords and usernames. These details are often leaked as part of data breaches or cyber attacks and then sold on the dark web.

Changes to personal account details and password reset attacks are forms of account takeover attacks.

Basically, criminals want to find an online retail account where you have saved your card details, use it to purchase something or withdraw funds, and then change your password or other details to lock you out.

Scammers often use sophisticated robots to test stolen login credentials at high speed and on multiple websites at once.

During last year’s extended holiday period, one in six cases of information change in an online retail account was a scammer changing the victim’s personal account details, according to LexisNexis Risk Solutions.

2. Card not present

This type of scam occurs when someone’s debit or credit card numbers are stolen online, at a checkout, or at an ATM.

The scammer then uses the information to make a purchase over the phone, where you only need to provide the card numbers, not the PIN.

Nationwide Building Society reported that ‘card not present’ fraud is the most common fraud in building societies this year and will account for almost a quarter of all fraud cases in 2024.

Buyers are warned to check their accounts regularly to avoid this type of scam, as it is easy to miss a fraudulent transaction among genuine purchases at this time of year.

You should also never share codes with anyone, such as the unique PIN codes your bank sends you to confirm a purchase. Financial providers will never ask you for one.

You should also never share codes with anyone, such as the unique PIN codes your bank sends you to confirm a purchase. Financial providers will never ask you for this.

Report anything suspicious to your bank as soon as you can.

3. Buy counterfeit products

A purchase scam is when you pay for goods or services that are fake or never appear.

Shoppers are especially at risk of falling victim to Black Friday shopping scams as they are in the mindset of bargain hunting and getting good deals on Christmas gifts for their loved ones.

More than £42 million was lost to purchasing fraud in the first half of 2024, with 375 cases each day, according to trade body UK Finance.

Parents are especially susceptible, as scammers often take advantage of the fact that many parents will try to locate a popular gift for their children.

Counterfeit products are most often advertised on Instagram or Facebook Marketplace. TSB data reveals that Facebook accounted for two-thirds of all purchase fraud losses. It is followed by Instagram, which accounts for sixteen percent of purchase fraud.

According to TSB, the most common items appearing in fake Black Friday ads or posts include concert tickets, soccer tickets, cars, clothing, sneakers, and children’s toys.

Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true, and check customer reviews of the seller to make sure they have a good track record.

4. Fake Package Delivery Texts

Scammers take advantage of the fact that buyers are likely to receive many packages this time of year.

In this type of scam, a scammer will send fake text messages or emails containing links, posing as a retailer or courier with fake package tracking information.

They can also tell you that you missed a delivery and need to click a link to reschedule it.

If you click on the link or open the attachment, criminals can infect your device with malware or direct you to fake websites where they will trick you into handing over your personal data.

Fake package delivery text messages were the fastest growing scam in 2024, with one in three people receiving one in the last 12 months, a NatWest study revealed.

Never click on a link in a text message or email from an unknown number or email.

A courier or the post office will never ask you to enter your card details to see if a package has been delivered or to reschedule a delivery.

Rob Woods, director of fraud and identity at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, says: “The public should remain especially vigilant this shopping season and think twice before clicking on any link they receive in an email or text message that claims to be of a genuine company.

5. Artificial sales prices

When looking to score a bargain this Black Friday, shoppers should also be wary of retailers’ underhanded tactics, such as fake sale prices.

You might think you’re getting a good deal, only to find out that after Black Friday the price is the same or even a little cheaper.

Retailers often inflate prices before peak seasons to make deals appear better than they really are and entice customers to buy more.

Katy Phillips, of price comparison website Idealo, says: ‘There are a number of reasons why prices can fluctuate throughout the year. Many retailers use artificial intelligence and algorithms to dynamically adjust prices based on consumer demand and competitor prices.’

Some shopper price comparison sites have free tools you can use that allow you to set up price alerts or monitor price history to identify the best discount.

You can use comparison sites to spot the difference and see if it’s cheaper elsewhere, for example Idealo, Price Spy and Camel Camel Camel.

Don’t be fooled by bargain prices that seem too good to be true, and only buy the items you were going to buy anyway.