Black Friday is here again for shoppers to bag a bargain, however, you should be wary of Black Friday fraudsters trying to cash-in on the sales ecstasy.
Various studies have shown that the holiday session is one of the best times for fraudsters to scam their unsuspected victims. In fact, the number of Black Friday scams is increasing and they’re becoming more sophisticated, according to Daily Mail.
This is why it’s important for everyone to be mindful of the fraudsters while shopping around for the Black Friday discount bonanza. You just have to be more careful in order to protect yourself against these monster scammers.
How to avoid Black Friday fraudsters online
Fraudsters are everywhere and they are using all kinds of tricks such as fake adverts. Also, they trick people to buy non-existent goods and try to steal personal data on an average of £661 per victim.
We all know that most of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping bonanzas take place online. So, this makes it easy for the fraudsters to scam their unsuspected victims who are just looking for deals online.
You just have to be extremely careful to effectively beat fraudsters and keep your money safe while shopping around for bargains. Below are some of the best ways to avoid Black Friday scams and to shop safely during the Black Friday discount bonanza.
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#1]. Beware of suspicious emails
You should beware of suspicious emails offering deals that appear to be from a legit shopping brand or finance provider. These emails are purposedly designed to make you click on the link in order to unleash viruses, trackers or other malware on your device.
If you’re not sure of the source of an email or you don’t trust the sender, don’t click on it. The best thing to do is to verify from the brand or should immediately delete the email.
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#2]. Beware of phishing scams that ask for your info
Phishing emails are designed to unsuspectedly look genuine to enable fraudsters to steal your identity. The email will ask you to update or change your account details, and they will provide you a link to click to do that.
When you click on this link, it will take you to a website that looks like a genuine website so that the fraudsters can be able to harvest your data. If a site asks for your details or is suddenly interested in your credit card numbers, it could be a scam. You need to close down your browser to avoid becoming a victim of phishing. It’s a scam to get your valuable private details.
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#3]. Beware of dodgy deals on social media
Scams are becoming more and more sophisticated and social media offers a perfect place for scammers to get new victims. Beware of fake social media accounts they are using to promote fake deals to get you to part with your money.
If you come across any post offering too-good-to-be-true deals on social media, don’t just jump on it. It could be a trap to defraud you, so it’s better just avoid it if you suspect any foul play.
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#4]. Be wary of fake reviews
Nowadays, brands are using reviews to get potential customers to buy their products. There are so many fake review websites out there that are purposedly set up to con people to buy fake products. Therefore, it’s important for you to be mindful of online fake reviews.
Before you shop and spend your money online, make sure you do some research. You could Google the company to check its legitimacy or try a number of reputable review sites. If it’s a known brand, check you’re on a legitimate website by typing in the web address or search for the website rather than clicking on the link.
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#5]. Avoid shopping online on public wi-fi
Most shoppers now make their shopping online via their mobile gadgets rather than walking down to the supermarket. However, you have to protect yourself and avoid making purchases online using public wi-fi.
The fact is that fraudsters can easily compromise public wi-fi and have access to your valuable personal information. So, it’s better to use your secured mobile data and stay safe while shopping online.
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