How to Avoid Online Shopping Scams This Black Friday

Most Black Friday scams work the same way: they rush you into a fake deal, a copycat store or a fake "delivery" message before you have time to think. The good news is that once you know the patterns, they're easy to spot. This guide covers the most common online shopping scams around the sales, how to recognise each one, and the simple habits that keep your money safe.

Scam activity climbs sharply over Black Friday and Cyber Monday, because criminals know shoppers are hunting for deals and moving fast. A little caution goes a long way.

The most common Black Friday and Cyber Monday scams

Fake and copycat stores

Scammers set up websites that copy a well-known brand, or invent a store with unbelievable prices. They take your card details and either send nothing or charge you again later. These sites often appear in search ads and social media feeds, look polished, and disappear after the sales.

"Too good to be true" deal ads

A 90%-off designer item or a £20 games console in a social feed is almost always bait. The link leads to a copycat store or a page that harvests your card and personal details.

Phishing emails and fake delivery texts

You'll see a spike in emails and texts claiming there's a problem with an order, a prize to claim, or a parcel "held" until you pay a small fee. The link goes to a fake login or payment page. With more parcels moving during the sales, fake delivery messages are especially common.

Fake discount codes and gift-card requests

Some scams offer a "code" that asks you to log in on a lookalike page, or a "seller" who insists you pay by gift card or bank transfer for a better price. Gift cards and bank transfers are favourites because they're almost impossible to reverse.

Account takeover during the rush

If you reuse the same password across sites, a leak somewhere else lets criminals log into your shopping accounts, use saved cards and change your delivery address — often unnoticed during a busy sales week.

7 ways to spot a scam before you pay

1. Check the exact web address. Look for the correct spelling and https://. Scam sites use near-misses like nike-blackfriday.shop or amaz0n-deals.com.
2. Treat huge discounts as a warning, not a win. If a price is far below everywhere else, assume it's fake until proven otherwise.
3. Reach stores directly. Type the retailer's address yourself or use its official app — don't follow big-deal links from ads, emails or texts.
4. Look for real signs of a business. A genuine store has a clear returns policy, contact details, and reviews you can find elsewhere — not just on its own site.
5. Pay with a credit card or a trusted wallet. These offer fraud protection and chargebacks. Never pay a "store" by gift card, crypto or bank transfer.
6. Slow down on urgency. Countdown timers, "only 2 left" and "act now or lose it" are designed to stop you checking. Real deals don't need you to panic.
7. Verify delivery messages in the carrier's own app. Don't tap tracking links in texts; open the courier or retailer app and check the order there.

Red flags in a scam message

• A sense of urgency or threat ("your account will be closed", "parcel held")
• A misspelled or odd web address that doesn't match the real company
• A request to pay by gift card, crypto or bank transfer
• A request for your password, full card number or a one-time code
• Generic greetings ("Dear Customer") and small spelling mistakes

Tip: no legitimate company, bank or courier will ever ask for your password or a one-time passcode by text or email.

What protects you, and what doesn't

A few habits block almost all of these scams:

• A credit card adds fraud protection between a scammer and your bank account, and lets you dispute charges.
• Two-factor authentication stops account takeover even if a password leaks.
• A password manager gives every site a unique password, so one leak can't unlock the rest.
• Keeping devices updated closes the security holes that malicious links rely on.
• A VPN with domain blocking helps too: BambooVPN's BambooShield can block known ad, tracker and malicious domains, which stops some scam and malvertising links from loading in the first place.

Be clear about the limits, though: a VPN can't tell a real store from a fake one. If you enter your card on a copycat site, no tool will get your money back automatically — so always verify where you're buying.

If you think you've been scammed

1. Contact your bank or card issuer immediately and ask them to stop or dispute the payment.
2. Change the password for the affected account, and any other account that used the same one.
3. Turn on two-factor authentication where it isn't already on.
4. Report it to your country's fraud or consumer-protection service.
5. Watch your statements for the next few weeks for anything you don't recognise.

Acting quickly gives you the best chance of recovering the money and stopping further charges.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if a shopping site is a scam?

Check that the web address is spelled correctly and uses https://, look for a real returns policy and contact details, and search for independent reviews. Be wary of prices far below everywhere else and of stores you only found through an ad or a message.

Are Black Friday deals on social media real?

Some are, but social feeds are also full of fake-deal ads that lead to copycat stores. Don't buy through the ad link — go to the retailer's official site or app and look for the same deal there.

Is it safe to click a delivery tracking link in a text?

Treat these with caution. A very common scam is a fake "parcel held, pay a fee" text. Instead of tapping the link, open the courier's or retailer's official app and check your order from there.

What's the safest way to pay online during the sales?

A credit card or a trusted payment wallet, because they offer fraud protection and chargebacks. Never pay a store by gift card, cryptocurrency or bank transfer — those are almost impossible to reverse.

Can a VPN protect me from shopping scams?

A VPN encrypts your connection and can block known malicious domains, which stops some scam links from loading. It can't tell a genuine store from a fake one, so combine it with checking the site's address and paying by credit card.

Shop the sales with confidence

The deals are real, and so are the scams around them. Slow down, reach stores directly, pay with a credit card, and don't act on urgent "order problem" or "parcel held" messages. A few simple checks will keep the savings in your pocket.

For the Wi-Fi side of safe shopping, see is public Wi-Fi safe for online shopping?, and our guide to airport and hotel Wi-Fi safety.

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