The holiday shopping season is ripe for scammers as consumers rush to find and take advantage of some of the best deals of the year and potentially miss red flags that signal a scam. Security Researchers warn about growth in a scam capitalizing on the hype surrounding Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Fraudsters know they can take advantage of shoppers' sense of urgency and excitement with limited-time exclusive offers, and artificial intelligence is making these campaigns even harder to detect than usual.
New McAfee data suggest that nearly half of Americans have experienced AI-powered scams while shopping, from deepfakes impersonating celebrities promoting promotions to near-flawless fake websites that steal your credit card information.
Here are the scams to watch out for this Black Friday.
Fake websites are a common type of scam, and scammers are taking advantage of the holiday shopping season to trap users with fake retail sites and sales pages that look legitimate but are actually just collecting data such as your login credentials and payment information. Fraudsters will use stolen assets such as logos and product photos of well-known and trusted brands, and AI can create a convincing (but fake) small business website with elements such as a customer service page and consumer reviews in no time.
Another shopping scam facilitated by artificial intelligence is impersonation fraud. You think you're watching a popular influencer or celebrity promoting an exclusive deal or product giveaway on TikTok or another social media platform, but it's actually a deepfake. If you click on the link to enter or buy, you will be taken to a fake page (as described above) designed to steal from you.
According to Google November Fraud and Fraud Consultationfraudsters can access their content, interception of search requests for Black Friday sales, posting deceptive advertisements or promoting offers on social media. Fake storefronts may look like advertising links, which are easy to miss if you're in a hurry to make a purchase.
Of course, you may encounter other common holiday scams, such as fake delivery notifications who request payment to resolve a delivery problem, and account verification scam this will prompt you to confirm your personal details. These phishing and smishing campaigns use standard scam tactics, such as impersonating a legitimate company or service and sending a fraudulent link that collects your banking information or username and password combination.
Black Friday Scam Red Flags
When shopping for holiday deals, take your time and pay attention to common signs of scams. Fraudsters will use urgency—such as a limited time to close a deal or a limited number of items remaining in stock—in the hope that you won't think twice about buying. You should also be wary of any deals that are too good to be true or promotions with particularly low prices that don't match other sales on similar items. This includes influencers promoting “exclusive” opportunities. If you're purchasing from a small business you don't know about, Google the brand and read third-party reviews to see if it's legit.
Instead of clicking on links in emails, text messages and social media posts promoting sales, go directly to the seller's website and find the offer. If you do click on a link, check the URL carefully to make sure it is legitimate (scammers may use homoglyphs that avoid detection at first glance) and look for website elements that real companies have, such as a privacy policy and address. If you see a promotion on social media, check the creator's account to see when they joined the platform, what they have posted in the past, and whether they are verified.
Beware of any site that requires you to pay with a gift card, cryptocurrency, or bank transfer rather than a credit card, which has some protection in case of fraud. Legitimate retailers will use legitimate payment methods.
Finally, never enter your login credentials unless you have verified that the site you are using is trustworthy. This includes delivery services and your Amazon and PayPal accounts. All of these scammers may force you to “confirm” to resolve a billing or shipping issue.
