Whilst Black Friday is nominally a one day event and one of the busiest shopping days of the year, Black Friday “deals” appear in abundance throughout the month of November.
So once again, it does not take long for criminals to seize another opportunity to defraud unsuspecting members of the public of their hard-earned cash. Therefore, just holding back, taking a few minutes to double check the Black Friday bargain is a genuine offer from a genuine retailer, can protect you from joining the increasing number of people who fall victim to these scams.
· In the heat of the moment, it can be hard to tell if it is a bargain or a scam, especially in the run up to Black Friday!
· Criminals may try to trick you into purchasing goods/services that do not exist by advertising them at too good to be true prices.
· Protect your money and information by only using retailers you trust, or authorised sellers named on official websites when shopping for deals online.
· Beware of Phishing emails that appear to come from reputable retailers with “too good to miss” offers, never click on links in emails from unrecognised senders
· Check out the security of the Website by looking for the https:// in the website address and the padlock symbol which should be in the address bar, and not in the body of the site, as confirmation of a website’s security
· Fake websites can copy mainstream online retailers and enticing buyers with unbeatable prices, so always stick with well-known, reputable retailers online and check the URL is for the genuine retailer.
· Some online sellers may be selling counterfeit products at Black Friday prices
· Beware of limited time offers which create a false sense of urgency to get you to act quickly - Take Five before you buy.
· Criminals are making use of Artificial Intelligence – (AI) – more and more , to present much more convincing emails, adverts and fake websites, so check, check and check again
