As we all know, Black Friday is no longer relegated to one day in the year but rather an entire month of frenzied shopping, especially online. But before you dive headfirst into the Black Friday shopping craze, take a moment to ensure you are keeping safe from online scammers with our survival guide to avoiding Black Friday scams.
Is it too good to be true?
Black Friday is all about scoring fantastic deals, but not every offer is as good as it seems. If you see an ad offering a new iPhone 15 for R5000, you know something is not right. This is how scammers aim to entice you, hoping you'll share your credit card details or personal information in the pursuit of an irresistible deal. They may even create a false sense of urgency, pressuring you to make a quick purchase or risk missing out. If you come across these types of deals on Black Friday, get out as quickly as possible.
Bonus tip: When you see a deal that you trust and you’re ready to make an online payment, ensure that you're directed to a secure payment gateway. Before completing the transaction, take a moment to verify the legitimacy of the gateway. And whenever possible, consider using a virtual bank card, as these are more secure as it features temporary CVV numbers for added protection.
Dodge suspicious links
You’re probably already receiving a ton of Black Friday promotional emails, SMSs and direct messages on social media. This is the time to practice your dodging skills by resisting the urge to click on any questionable or unfamiliar links. If you're ever in doubt about the authenticity of a deal, take the safe route: launch your trusty web browser and visit the retailer's website or check out their app to see if the deal is legit. If you suspect you may have responded to a phishing email (where scammers ask for your personal details), quickly change your banking login details and inform your bank.
Bonus tip: Keep an eye out for grammar mistakes, as cybercriminals often operate from countries where English is not the first language. If you receive marketing messages with glaring spelling errors, be cautious, as this is usually the first sign of fraudulent activity.
A little ‘s’ keeps scammers away
When you're on the hunt for online Black Friday deals, it's easy to get carried away and overlook the finer details. But, don't let your excitement lead you to unsafe websites. Look for a small but significant detail before you dive into online deals – the website's security. You must check for an SSL certificate, which you'll find at the beginning of a website’s URL as 'https://'. This little 's' stands for secure and encrypts data between your device and the website, making it extremely difficult for hackers to tamper with your data. If you spot a mere 'http://' without the 's’, it’s time to make a hasty exit because your info is practically an open book to hackers.
Bonus tip: If you're tempted by an unbelievable deal on a popular brand site, don't assume it's safe. Always verify the legitimacy of the website by checking the URL and domain. Scammers are known for creating deceptive lookalike websites that could fool even the smartest shoppers.
Don’t make it easy
Do you use the same password for all your ecommerce accounts? It might be convenient, but in the world of online security, outsmarting cyber thieves is the name of the game. Use different, complex passwords for each platform – a mix of numbers, lowercase and uppercase letters, as well as symbols. Yes, this is an annoying step, but remember, it’s more annoying to have your bank account emptied out.
Bonus Tip: Social media platforms have made it even easier to log in to ecommerce sites. In the rush of Black Friday, this is probably the quickest way for you to shop online, but you also need to ramp up your security by enabling multi-factor or two-step authentication on these platforms. This extra layer of protection alerts you to any login attempts on your account, ensuring you are in control of your online security.
Public Wi-Fi is no-no for shopping
Finally, avoid using public Wi-Fi networks to share personal information, do banking or shop online. These networks lack the necessary security measures and do not receive regular updates or proactive monitoring, creating an open invitation for scammers to access your sensitive information.
Now that you know what to look out for, you can do your Black Friday bargain hunting safely and securely. Happy shopping!
