Scammers are using Black Friday buzz to disguise fake ads, bogus storefronts, and too-good-to-be-true deals.
Fraud experts say red flags include sites with endless high-demand products and “failed” payments meant to harvest card numbers.
Shoppers can protect themselves by sticking to trusted retailers, using official apps, and adopting a “trust but verify” mindset before buying.
Black Friday has become the unofficial kickoff to holiday shopping — and scammers know it.
Fraudsters are already working overtime to grab a piece of your wallet, from misleading ads to fake websites designed to look like your favorite retailers, the risks are higher than most people realize.
ConsumerAffairs interviewed Scamnetic CEO Al Pascual to learn about the biggest threats this year that are hiding in plain sight.
Biggest scam risks
With consumers shopping more during the holidays, it’s the perfect time for scammers to strike.
“Criminals take advantage of the holidays to better camouflage their activities, hiding them within and among legitimate activity,” Pascual said. “Black Friday provides the perfect cover to offer 'too good to be true' deals on in-demand products under the auspices of a seemingly legitimate e-commerce site.
“And as the holiday season passes, deals and hard-to-get gifts will become even more appealing to unfortunate victims who take the bait.”
Red flags of a scam
Pascual also shared some of the red flags consumers should be aware of this holiday season.
“If a consumer visits a site that seemingly has a wide array of in-demand products, that is a sign that they may have found themselves on a fake storefront,” he said.
“Another potential sign is if the site is unable to process your payment, despite changing the card being used. This could indicate that the site was designed to harvest card numbers from victims.”
Protecting yourself this holiday season
While scammers may be running rampant this holiday season, consumers can still do everything in their power to protect themselves and their personal information.
“The best thing consumers can do to avoid being scammed is to shop with trusted merchants directly through apps from the Google Play store or the Apple App store,” Pascual said.
“Scammers play on our trust. The best mindset is unfortunately one of constant skepticism, or put another way, consumers should 'trust but verify' before they ever share sensitive information and make a payment.”