Black Friday: The ultimate guide to staying safe from scams!
- Christos Christodoulides
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
🛒 Black Friday and Cyber Monday are undoubtedly the most popular days of the year for those who prefer to shop online. Many e-shops around the world offer truly tempting deals, which makes users eagerly await this sales period every year.
🕵️♂️ However, with increased traffic and shopping excitement, the risks also rise. Scammers take advantage of this period by creating fake websites or artificial offers with the sole purpose of stealing money or personal information.
To shop safely, you can find below important tips to follow to avoid the online risks that lurk:
🔍 1. Check the actual price of the product before buying
One of the most common tricks, especially during the sales period, is artificially inflating the original price shortly before Black Friday, so that the discount seems larger than it really is. To ensure the deal you see is genuine, quickly search the product name on Google and compare prices from different stores. You will often find that the so-called “Black Friday price” is actually the normal price of the product.
2. Check if the website is secure (HTTPS)
When visiting your chosen online store, check whether it uses encryption for users’ personal data via HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure). You can identify this if the URL (especially on the payment pages) starts with HTTPS or has a small padlock icon. If you see either of these, the website is secure.
⭐ 3. Check the store’s reliability
Before making a purchase, it’s worth Googling the store’s name and reading what other users say. On websites like Trustpilot, Google Reviews, or even forums and social media like Reddit, you can often find buyer experiences that can save you from unpleasant situations. If a store has many negative reviews, it’s best to avoid it.
💸 4. Avoid stores that accept only bank transfers
Avoid websites that accept only bank transfers, Western Union, or similar money transfer methods. These are common tools used by scammers. Always prefer payments with a card, PayPal, or other methods that offer buyer protection.
💍 5. Don’t trust ridiculously low prices on very expensive products
If a product that normally costs €2000 is being sold for €60, it’s not a deal—it’s a scam. If you see any branded expensive product at an unrealistically low price, it’s likely either a cheap imitation or you will never receive anything.
🌐 6. Don’t shop using public Wi-Fi
Public networks are not secure, and hackers can intercept your card details or passwords. Always shop while connected to your home Wi-Fi or mobile internet.
📧 7. Beware of suspicious emails & SMS
During Black Friday – Cyber Monday, phishing emails promising huge discounts increase. Be cautious of links leading to suspicious websites, emails with sender names resembling known brands with minor differences, and messages asking for card details or passwords. Always go directly to the store’s official website by typing its address in your browser rather than clicking links in emails.
📝 8. Check the store’s information and terms of use
Before buying, quickly check the store’s details. A genuine e-shop must have clear terms of use, privacy policy, return policy, and full contact information. If these are missing or the page looks poorly made or poorly translated, it’s best to leave.
📦 9. Check return & shipping policies
Before buying, see how returns are handled, if there are return costs, whether the store is abroad, and the exact delivery times. Many suspicious e-shops have no return policy or provide vague information.
💳 10. Don’t save card details on every site
Avoid saving payment details on online stores you visit. Also, prefer using cards without large balances.
⏱ 11. Watch out for pressure countdowns
During sales, you often see timers like “offer ends in 10 minutes” or notifications like “only 2 items left.” Most of the time, these are fake pressure tactics to make you buy impulsively without giving you time to research the store’s reliability. If the timer resets every time you refresh, it’s just a marketing tactic, not a real indication.
📢 12. Check the store’s social media
A reliable e-shop usually has an active presence, comments, photos, content, and normal interaction with its customers. Suspicious stores often have few followers, little activity, or stock photos from well-known Chinese online stores.
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