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The original was posted on /r/lifeprotips by /u/kratomason on 2023-11-06 13:02:08.

Hello everyone. As Black Friday is coming up, I wanted to discuss the online shopping scams that are happening during this period. I believe that I am not the only one who does the majority of Black Friday shopping online and usually looks for better deals all over the internet.

The problem is that criminals know that people get more excited and less protective during this period and try extra hard to scam us.

I thought I would share some of the most common scams and how to avoid them with you all so that you would be prepared.

The most common Black Friday scams techniques used by hackers are:

  • Fraudulent websites: Copies of legit websites created to steal personal or financial information.

  • Fake apps: Hackers trick victims into downloading a fake app with malware to steal their credit card information.

  • Phishing scams: Fake messages or emails to trick recipients into providing personal information.

  • Fake Antivirus pop-ups: These appear while browsing online through different retailers’ websites. People who press and download the suggested antivirus software can end up with malware on their devices.

Although these might look pretty familiar, it is important to remember that every year hackers become better and better at doing this, and even people who know these threats can be caught.

Here are a few essential tips of how to avoid scams online:

  • Payment: Choose to pay with Google Pay or Apple Pay, or use a credit card. These payment methods are secure, and a customer has legal protection against the seller if things go wrong.

  • Password Manager: Use a password manager so save your credit card details as well as use them to create unique and strong passwords for every website. It will make the process more stress free when trying to get the deal and also more secure. If you don’t have one already this table has some good options (with free subscription options as well).

  • Updated devices: Update your phone or PC software regularly because scammers always target out-of-date weak spots.

  • Avoid suspicious links or downloads: If you want to download an app, but are not sure about the app or its legitimacy look for grammar mistakes, pay attention to the logo if it is identical, check review sections (if the app is new but has many reviews, that’s a red flag), and app’s release date (if it’s created recently there is a big chance that it is fake).

  • Avoid too-good-to-be-true offers or free gift card offers. Although these offers are eye-catching, it is important to stay critical and question if this could be a reality.

I hope this will be informative and help someone to avoid shopping online scams. Also, if you have any more suggestions on how to save your information or what are the newest scam methods, please share them in the comments so that everyone would be aware.

Safe Black Friday shopping!