Scammers are targeting you right now with fake Black Friday deals. But with almost every online retailer offering discounts before the holidays, how can you spot when something is a scam, and what about when products are real but the offer isn’t as good as it appears?
Scammers Ask for Personal Info for Free Gifts
Nothing is ever really free. By falling for a simple phishing scam, you may end up handing over your private data to scammers and maybe downloading malware, too.
Phishing often takes the form of fraudulent emails. You can frequently tell these from the genuine ones, as some elements, including logos, will be pixelated. However, scammers are smart, and the telltale signs of a phishing scam are becoming harder to spot. Instead, check the email address to see whether it looks real, comparing it to previous messages from the real company in question.
Don’t submit personal details or click on links you’re not 100 percent sure about. You can normally verify a message on a retailer’s real site or ask customer services for confirmation.
Fake Shipping Companies Send Scam Links to Arrange Delivery
Black Friday is the busiest time of year for delivery companies. Think of the huge number of parcels being sent out ready for Christmas. It’s an obvious thing for scammers to exploit.
That’s why you get messages from fraudsters purporting to be DHL, FedEx, or similar. These can tell you that you’ve missed a delivery and need to click on a link to reschedule.
Don’t click on links in emails, SMS, WhatsApp, iMessage, or otherwise. You can’t trust them. You’ll not only be giving them your personally identifiable information (PII), but you could also allow them access to your device. Reputable businesses like FedEx, DPD, or UPS won’t use WhatsApp or iMessage anyway, and in most cases, these firms will simply try redelivering later.
If you’re unsure, contact the company independently via official sources.
Scammers Ask You to Wait Longer for Products That’ll Never Arrive
Sometimes, parcels just won’t turn up. Around the festivities, that’s particularly troubling as you might not get your presents in time. If you’ve fallen for a scam, those gifts won’t turn up at all.
In such a case, you’ll try to contact the sellers. Some will simply blame delivery services and ask you to wait longer. Ultimately, it’s up to the retailer to ensure you get what you’ve bought; otherwise, you’ll need advice from the platform you used to pay, i.e., PayPal or your credit card company.
Trust your gut. If the seller is being evasive or difficult to contact, that’s a red flag.
Watch Out for Dubious Returns Policies
Before you buy, look at returns policies. Many retailers will extend theirs or give gift receipts to accommodate the holidays, but other shops make things purposely difficult.
Let’s say you’ve bought something from eBay. Many sellers are genuine and want to do right by their customers. Others, however, might not even accept returns at all.
That’s why you need to stay vigilant. Sometimes, if you’re buying from a third party but via a reputable name like Amazon, you can turn to the parent company for help if something arrives damaged, faulty, or not as advertised. Money-back guarantees from card companies and similar payment platforms can help. Your best bet, however, is to check a store’s returns before paying for your shopping basket.
Retailers Bump Prices Up to Make Black Friday Deals Look Better
Scammers don’t use this tactic, but it is a classic way for retailers to tempt customers into purchasing items.
You know how this works: a shop advertises a discounted rate, and you quickly buy a product before the offer ends. But actually, the shop rarely charges RRP, so this isn’t the best rate they’ve had. Shops increase prices for a short time (or appear to) and then lower them again around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so the price difference looks greater.
How can you tell? Try using a price-tracking website like Keepa or CamelCamelCamel. These specialize in Amazon items, but sometimes track pricing across other sites too. Give it a go by copying a URL into one or both of them.
Deals That Are Too Good to Be True
Here’s what it all boils down to: if an offer looks too good to be true, it is.
Be skeptical and vigilant. Retailers want your money, yes, but the really good shops also want to please customers, so they become returning ones. That means striking a balance between profit and quality. It’s why you won’t find the deal of the century on Black Friday. Nonetheless, you will find some decent offers. The key is to keep a cool head. It’s the main way you can avoid a scammer ruining your Christmas.
