Avoid Scams This Black Friday
11/26/2025
Avoid Scams This Black Friday
Stay alert this Black Friday! It can be easy to start feeling the rush and excitement of Black Friday shopping; however, it is important that you take an extra moment to exercise caution when shopping online. Scammers use the increased traffic of days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday to reel in mass amounts of potential victims. Here’s how you can avoid falling victim to Black Friday Scams.
- Advertisements on social media or websites with merchandise that is priced much lower than every other retailer or is “too-good-to-be-true.” This is the hallmark of a phony deal scam. If you see an advertisement like this, it is important that you do your due diligence. Open a separate tab and search for the discounted item. If reputable retailers are nowhere near the price, it is likely a scam. Furthermore, accessing retailers through search engines will help you avoid clicking phishing links.
- Only use one credit card. Using a credit card over a debit card will help protect you against scammers who can steal your information and take money from your bank account. A credit card offers an extra layer of protection. Not only this, but only using one card for all your purchases will make it easier for you to keep track of legitimate charges and spot fraudulent ones.
- Before making purchases, make sure you up the security on your devices and accounts. Make sure your software and any anti-virus programs are up to date. You should also make sure your passwords to accounts are complex, and turn on two-factor authentication if it is an option. This will help safeguard you from bad actors trying to gain access to your accounts.
- Never use public Wi-Fi. Using unsecured public Wi-Fi can make it easy for criminals to infiltrate your devices and steal passwords, personal information, or credit card information. Instead, use your phone’s data or hotspot to access online shopping.
- Don’t give in to pressure. If you see messages claiming the deal is about to go away and you need to act quickly, treat these with an increased amount of skepticism. It is true that many Black Friday deals do have time or inventory restraints. However, scammers capitalize on this by trying to get their potential victims to act quickly. Best practice is to pause, ensure you are visiting a reputable and official website, and look for the https:// in the web address.
Keep yourself safe this Black Friday by exercising a little extra caution before submitting any orders or clicking on any links! The best advice we can give you is the age old, “if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.” Happy holidays!
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