You can spot a fake Black Friday deal by checking four things before you pay: the price, the website address, the payment method, and the seller’s real contact details. A Black Friday scam is a fake sale, fake store, or fake message that uses holiday discounts to steal your money or your personal data. In 2026, Black Friday falls on Friday, November 27, and Cyber Monday follows on November 30. If a price is far lower than every other store, the site is new, or the seller only accepts bank transfers, crypto, or gift cards, stop and walk away.
Below, you will learn the 8 most common scams, 12 red flags, a 7-step check to run before you pay, and what to do if you get tricked.
Why Black Friday scams spike every year
Scammers go where the crowds go, and in November the crowds are online. Millions of people hunt for deals at the same time, and many are in a hurry. Hurry makes people skip the small checks that would catch a fake.
There is also a pricing trick at work. Real stores really do cut prices on Black Friday, so a very low price feels normal. Scammers copy that feeling. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns that fraudsters often advertise the most wanted gifts of the season at low prices, especially on social media.
Here are the key facts to know going into this season:
|
What the data says |
Number |
|---|---|
|
Share of all scams reported to BBB Scam Tracker in 2025 that were online purchase scams |
28.4% (third riskiest scam type) |
|
Money lost to online scams and crimes in 2025 (Consumer Federation of America) |
$20.877 billion, up 25.8% from 2024 |
|
Money lost to scams that began on social media in 2025 (FTC) |
$2.1 billion, about eight times the 2020 level |
|
Americans who say they fell for an online scam during the holidays (McAfee 2025 holiday report) |
1 in 3 |
The lesson is simple. These scams are common, they cost real money, and a growing share starts in the social media feed you already scroll.
The 8 most common Black Friday scams in 2026
Knowing the shape of each trick makes it much easier to catch. Here are the eight you are most likely to meet.
1. Fake online stores
A scammer builds a shop that looks real, lists hot products at deep discounts, and takes your payment. The item never arrives, and the site often disappears after a few weeks. How to spot it: the store is new, the prices beat every other seller, and you cannot find honest reviews outside the site itself.
2. Fake ads on social media
An ad in your feed shows a popular gadget at a shocking price. The link leads to a fake store or a form that asks for card details. How to spot it: the page running the ad is new, comments are turned off, and the brand has no real history.
3. Fake delivery and “package problem” messages
You get a text or email that says your parcel is stuck and you must pay a small fee or confirm your address. The link steals your card details or login. How to spot it: the message uses a link instead of your order page, and you do not remember ordering anything from that sender.
4. Phishing emails and texts about “account problems”
These messages pretend to come from a big shop or your bank. They say your account is locked or that you won a special coupon, and they push you to log in fast. How to spot it: the sender address looks slightly off, the greeting is vague, and the link does not match the real store’s web address.
5. Brushing and fake review tricks
In a brushing scam, someone sends cheap items to people who never ordered them, so they can post fake “verified purchase” reviews. If a parcel shows up that you did not buy, treat it as a warning sign for your account. How to spot it: reviews that sound alike, appear on the same few days, and praise the seller in the same way.
6. Fake gift cards and coupon offers
An offer for a free gift card or a huge coupon asks for your details or a small “shipping fee”. The prize does not exist. How to spot it: real coupons come from the store’s own site or app, and they never ask for sensitive data.
7. AI-made endorsements and deepfake videos
Scammers now use AI to make videos or posts where a celebrity seems to promote a flash sale. McAfee’s 2024 holiday study found that one in three Americans said they were targeted by AI-powered scams, including deepfakes and fake celebrity endorsements. How to spot it: the video pushes you to one unknown site, the voice or lips look slightly off, and the star’s official pages say nothing about the deal.
8. Marketplace and resale scams
On peer-to-peer sites such as Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, a seller may ask you to pay first, or to move the chat to another app. How to spot it: the price is too good, the seller refuses to meet or show the item live, and they ask for a payment method that cannot be undone.
12 red flags that a Black Friday deal is fake
One red flag can be a coincidence. Two or more means you should stop and check before you pay.
- The price is far below every other store. Real sales cut prices, but they rarely beat the whole market by a huge gap on a hot item.
- The website address looks odd. Watch for extra words, hyphens, swapped letters, or a strange ending, such as a famous brand name plus “-deals”.
- The site is brand new. A shop that appeared last week with thousands of products is suspicious.
- There is no real contact information. No phone number, no street address, or only a contact form is a bad sign.
- The payment choices are strange. Bank transfer, crypto, payment apps for friends, and gift cards are favorite tools of scammers because they are hard to reverse.
- The text, photos, or grammar look sloppy. Copied photos, odd wording, and broken pages show that little effort went into the site.
- The return policy is missing or vague. A real store tells you how returns and refunds work.
- The reviews look fake. Every review is five stars, written in the same style, and posted within a few days.
- A countdown timer pushes you. Timers that reset when you reload the page are made to rush you.
- The offer reached you through an unknown link. Be careful with links in texts, random emails, and ads from pages you do not know.
- It asks for too much personal data. A store does not need your ID number or your bank login to sell you a pair of headphones.
- You feel pressure to pay right now. Fake sellers often say “only 2 left” or “offer ends in 5 minutes” so you do not stop to think.
A padlock does not mean the shop is honest. The padlock only shows that the connection is encrypted. Scammers can get one too, so always judge the seller, not the icon.
Your 7-step check before you pay
This check takes about five minutes. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) gives the same core advice: look up an unfamiliar store and its product online before you order.
- Type the web address yourself. Do not tap the link in the ad or message. Go to the store’s known address or open its official app.
- Search the store’s name plus “scam” or “reviews”. Read reviews on sites you trust, not only on the store’s own pages.
- Look up the site’s age. A free domain lookup (search for “WHOIS lookup”) shows when the site was registered. A site made in the last few weeks needs extra care.
- Compare the price in two or three other stores. A big gap is a warning, not a gift.
- Check the contact page and policies. Look for a real address, a working phone number or email, and clear return and refund rules.
- Run a reverse image search on the product photo. If the same picture sits on many unrelated shops, it was probably copied.
- Pick a safe payment method last. Use a credit card or a trusted wallet, not a transfer, crypto, or gift cards (see the next section).
If any step fails, close the tab. No deal is worth losing your card details.
The safest way to pay online on Black Friday
A credit card is usually the safest way to pay online, because you can dispute a charge if the seller never delivers. The table below compares common options. Rules differ by country, bank, and card, so check your own card terms.
|
Payment method |
Can you get money back? |
Main risk |
Our advice |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Credit card |
Usually yes, through a dispute (chargeback) |
Stolen card data on a fake site |
Best choice for most shoppers |
|
Virtual or one-time card number |
Depends on the issuer |
Limit is small, so a loss stays small |
Great for stores you do not know |
|
Trusted wallet or buyer-protection service |
Often, if you follow its claim rules |
Claim time limits |
Good, if you pay inside the service |
|
Debit card |
Harder, because the money leaves your bank account |
Your cash is gone while you wait |
Use with care |
|
Bank transfer or payment app for friends |
Very rarely |
Hard to reverse |
Avoid with sellers you do not know |
|
Crypto or gift cards |
Almost never |
Nearly impossible to trace or recover |
Never use these for shopping |
Two habits help on any card. Turn on purchase alerts in your banking app, and never save your card on a store you do not trust.
What to do if you already got scammed
Act fast, because the first hours matter most. Follow these steps in order.
- Call your bank or card issuer first. Say you were scammed, ask them to block the card, and ask how to dispute the charge.
- Save the proof. Take screenshots of the ad, the website, the order email, the receipt, and the chat. Copy the web address.
- Change your passwords. Start with email, banking, and any account that shares the same password. Turn on two-step login.
- Report it to the platform. Flag the ad, the page, or the seller on the social site, marketplace, or payment service that was used.
- File an official report. In the US, report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and also at IC3.gov if you lost money. Outside the US, contact your national consumer agency or cybercrime unit. Save the report number you receive.
- Watch your accounts. Check your statements for weeks, and think about a credit freeze if you shared personal data such as an ID number.
Do not feel embarrassed. These scams are built by professionals, and reporting helps others avoid the same trap.
Black Friday scams: frequently asked questions
When are Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2026?
Black Friday is Friday, November 27, 2026, the day after US Thanksgiving. Cyber Monday is Monday, November 30, 2026. Many stores start their deals weeks earlier, and scammers start early too.
What is the most common Black Friday scam?
Online purchase scams, such as fake stores and fake ads, are the most common. They made up 28.4% of all scams reported to BBB Scam Tracker in 2025.
How can I tell if a website is fake?
Check the web address on Fake Website Checker tool, the age of the site, the contact details, the return policy, and independent reviews. Also compare the price with other stores. A very low price plus a new site is a strong warning.
Is a website with a padlock safe?
Not always. The padlock means the connection is encrypted, not that the seller is honest. Scammers can add a padlock to a fake shop.
Are Black Friday emails and texts safe to click?
Only if you trust the sender and the link goes to the real store. The safer habit is to open the store’s app or type its address yourself.
What is the safest way to pay for Black Friday deals?
A credit card or a trusted wallet with buyer protection is usually the best option. Avoid bank transfers, crypto, and gift cards for online shopping.
Can I get my money back after an online shopping scam?
Sometimes. Contact your card issuer right away to dispute the charge, and report the scam to the platform and to your consumer protection agency. Money sent by transfer, crypto, or gift cards is much harder to get back.
Why did I get a package I never ordered?
It may be a brushing scam, where a seller sends cheap items to fake a purchase and post a “verified” review. Change your account passwords, watch your accounts, and report the seller to the platform.
Final thoughts:
Black Friday scams work because they play on hurry and hope. The best defense is a short pause. Check the price, the web address, and the payment method, and pay with a card that lets you dispute a charge. If a deal feels too good to be true, it probably is, and a missed deal costs far less than a drained account.
Share this guide with family and friends who shop online, especially anyone who often buys through social media ads.