Black Friday can be a great time to find discounts, but the increase in online advertisements, promotional emails, text messages, and package deliveries also gives scammers more opportunities to target shoppers.
Common Black Friday scams can involve fake websites, phishing messages, fraudulent social media advertisements, false shipping notifications, counterfeit products, and payment requests designed to steal money or personal information.
The Federal Trade Commission recommends researching unfamiliar sellers, reviewing the terms of a purchase, using safer payment methods, and being suspicious of sellers that demand payment through gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps, or cryptocurrency.
Here are six mistakes shoppers should avoid during Black Friday and the holiday shopping season.
1. Trusting a Deal Simply Because the Price Looks Amazing
One of the easiest ways scammers attract attention is by advertising popular products at prices that seem almost impossible.
A social media advertisement might claim that an expensive electronic device, designer product, toy, or household item is available at an unusually steep discount. Clicking the advertisement may lead to a website designed to collect payment information, sell counterfeit merchandise, or take the shopper’s money without delivering anything.
The FTC warns that scammers frequently impersonate legitimate companies and promote brand-name products through social media advertisements at unusually low prices.
Before purchasing from an unfamiliar seller:
- Search for the company name and website independently.
- Look for reviews, complaints, or scam reports.
- Compare the price with established retailers.
- Review the seller’s return and refund policies.
- Be skeptical when an offer creates extreme urgency.
- Avoid assuming a social media advertisement has been verified simply because it appears professionally designed.
If a deal seems dramatically better than every established retailer’s price, take extra time to verify it before entering payment information.
2. Clicking Links in Unexpected Emails or Text Messages
Black Friday inboxes often fill with promotions, order confirmations, delivery notices, and discount codes.
Scammers take advantage of that volume by sending phishing emails and text messages that imitate legitimate retailers, banks, delivery companies, or payment services.
The message may tell you:
- Your payment failed.
- Your account needs verification.
- Your package cannot be delivered.
- A refund is waiting.
- Your order has been canceled.
- A limited-time coupon is available.
The goal is usually to make you click a malicious link or provide personal or financial information.
CISA recommends avoiding links and attachments in suspicious or unsolicited messages. If you are uncertain whether a message is legitimate, navigate to the retailer or service provider independently instead of using the link provided in the message.
A safer approach is to open the retailer’s official website or app yourself and check your account or order history there.
3. Assuming HTTPS or a Padlock Means a Website Is Legitimate
This is an important correction to older online-shopping advice.
A website using HTTPS encrypts information traveling between your browser and the site. That is useful, but it does not prove that the company operating the website is legitimate.
Scammers can also obtain security certificates and create convincing-looking websites.
CISA recommends checking for encryption while also confirming that you are dealing with a reputable and established vendor.
Before entering payment information:
- Carefully check the domain name for misspellings.
- Avoid websites reached through suspicious messages.
- Research unfamiliar businesses.
- Look for realistic contact and return information.
- Check independent reviews.
- Compare the website with the retailer’s known official site.
Encryption is one security signal—not proof that the seller can be trusted.
4. Paying With Gift Cards, Wire Transfers, or Other Unusual Methods
Be especially cautious when a seller tells you that the only way to complete a purchase is through:
- Gift cards
- Wire transfers
- Cryptocurrency
- Payment applications
- Other difficult-to-reverse methods
The FTC specifically warns that sellers demanding these payment methods may be scammers. When possible, paying by credit card can provide additional protections, including the ability to dispute certain charges when products are never delivered or are materially different from what was promised.
Before completing a purchase:
- Review the available payment methods.
- Never send a gift card number to an unknown seller.
- Avoid transferring money directly to strangers.
- Keep receipts and order confirmations.
- Review your account statements for unauthorized charges.
If a payment request feels unusual for a normal retail transaction, stop and verify the business before proceeding.
5. Trusting Every Package Delivery Notification
Black Friday and holiday shoppers often have several deliveries arriving from different retailers.
That makes fake shipping notifications particularly effective.
A fraudulent email or text might claim:
- Your address needs verification.
- A delivery fee is outstanding.
- Your package could not be delivered.
- You need to reschedule delivery.
- Your package is being held.
The message may contain a link designed to steal payment information, passwords, or other personal data.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service warns consumers about phishing and smishing schemes that impersonate postal or delivery organizations and request personal information through fraudulent links.
Instead of clicking the message:
- Open the retailer’s website or app directly.
- Use the tracking number from your original order confirmation.
- Visit the shipping company’s official website independently.
- Delete suspicious delivery messages.
Package security also continues after delivery. The Postal Inspection Service recommends retrieving packages promptly, using tracking, requesting signature confirmation when appropriate, or arranging another pickup option when you will not be home.
6. Ignoring Basic Account and Device Security
A discounted purchase is not worth exposing your accounts or financial information.
Before Black Friday shopping begins, review the security of the devices and accounts you plan to use.
CISA recommends keeping devices updated, using strong passwords, enabling multifactor authentication where available, and being cautious when conducting shopping or banking activity on unsecured public Wi-Fi networks.
Good habits include:
- Use unique passwords for important accounts.
- Enable multifactor authentication.
- Install operating-system and browser updates.
- Avoid shopping or banking over unsecured public Wi-Fi.
- Review account activity regularly.
- Contact your financial institution quickly if you notice an unauthorized charge.
These precautions are useful during Black Friday, but they should remain part of your normal online-shopping routine year-round.
What Should You Do If You Think You’ve Been Scammed?
Act quickly if you believe a Black Friday purchase or message may have compromised your money or personal information.
Depending on the situation:
- Contact your bank or credit-card provider.
- Dispute unauthorized charges.
- Change compromised passwords.
- Enable multifactor authentication.
- Save emails, receipts, screenshots, and transaction records.
- Report fraudulent shopping activity to the FTC.
- Report serious internet-fraud incidents to the appropriate authorities.
CISA recommends immediately changing passwords that may have been exposed and contacting financial institutions when suspicious transactions appear.
FTC consumer guidance on avoiding online shopping scams
CISA holiday online shopping safety guidance
Black Friday Security Is Also Important for Retailers
Black Friday creates security challenges for businesses as well as consumers.
Retail stores, malls, and shopping centers may experience increased foot traffic, longer operating hours, crowded parking areas, higher inventory levels, larger numbers of temporary employees, and increased activity around entrances and checkout areas.
Retail property managers should review:
- Store entrances and exits
- Parking areas
- Employee-only areas
- Loading and delivery zones
- Cash-handling procedures
- Crowd-flow procedures
- Camera coverage
- Emergency contacts
- Loss-prevention procedures
- Incident-reporting protocols
Professional security officers can support visible deterrence, parking-area patrols, customer and employee assistance, crowd management, access control, incident documentation, and coordination with property management.
Secure Guard provides security solutions for shopping and retail environments. Explore Secure Guard shopping center security services
For a broader look at retail property planning, see Secure Guard’s guide to mall security measures. Read Mall Security Measures for Safer Shopping Experiences
Video Monitoring Can Support Busy Retail Properties
Cameras can provide valuable additional visibility during busy shopping periods, particularly around entrances, checkout areas, parking lots, loading zones, and restricted areas.
Video monitoring can also support security officers by helping verify activity and document incidents.
Secure Guard’s monitoring program can work alongside on-site officers and patrol coverage through site-specific response procedures and incident reporting. Learn about Secure Guard video monitoring services
For larger retail properties, the appropriate security program may combine:
- On-site security officers
- Mobile patrols
- Video monitoring
- Access-control procedures
- Loss-prevention support
- Digital incident reporting
The right combination depends on the property’s size, hours, visitor traffic, existing systems, and known security concerns.
Stay Alert While Shopping This Black Friday
Black Friday scams often succeed because shoppers are moving quickly, comparing dozens of promotions, and trying not to miss limited-time deals.
Taking a few extra moments to verify the retailer, inspect the payment request, avoid suspicious links, and protect your accounts can significantly reduce your exposure to common scams.
Retailers and property managers should also review physical security before major shopping periods begin.
Secure Guard Security Services provides professional security programs for retail centers, shopping properties, commercial facilities, parking areas, and other environments where additional security coverage may be appropriate.
Request a security consultation with Secure Guard
Call 888-908-7818 to discuss your property’s security requirements.