Black Friday scams to look out for in South Africa – and how to avoid them

While Black Friday promises some great specials for South African shoppers on 25 November 2022, scammers have some specials of their own in store for unsuspecting bargain shoppers.

This year, more South Africans will swap busy shopping centre queues for the checkout button on their favourite e-commerce sites as Black Friday goes more online than ever, said ESET Southern Africa CEO Carey van Vlaanderen.

“This is why staying vigilant, and knowing how to spot dodgy deals and scams, has never been more important,” she added.

According to van Vlaanderen, these are the most popular scams of 2022 and ones shoppers should look out for during Black Friday:

Phishing emails

Phishing emails are one of the oldest tricks in a cybercriminal’s book because they often work – especially on Black Friday when consumers receive numerous emails from retailers detailing upcoming specials, order confirmations, and delivery information, said van Vlaanderen.

She noted that fake order confirmation emails surge at this time of year. These emails claim that one of your orders has been confirmed but won’t mention the content of your purchase. Instead, you’re urged to click on a malicious link to find out.

Another increasingly common phishing scam is the “there is a problem with your order” email scam, warns van Vlaanderen. These cleverly mimic messages from courier companies to direct you to a link asking you to take action, such as paying for a delivery fee shortfall or entering personal information.

WhatsApp Black Friday voucher scams and competitions

Fake vouchers and bogus competitions are other forms of ‘click the link’ scams that go viral on WhatsApp during Black Friday, said van Vlaanderen.

She explained that these messages include promises of free shopping vouchers or incredible competitions with the chance to win big-ticket items that look convincing and direct victims to click on a URL that looks like a legitimate retailer – convincing people to share confidential information.

Social media scams

Fraudsters are savvy on social media all year round, but Black Friday is an opportunity to take advantage of the increased number of online shoppers and blend in with the great bargains popping up on newsfeeds across the country.

Van Vlaanderen suggested shoppers exercise extra caution around ads offering deals on designer items and massive discounts on luxury goods.

“Always check the seller’s website and their reviews before you purchase, and stay clear if you land on a site with an unusual domain,” she said.

Tickets to nowhere

As the year winds down, many people look forward to well-deserved rest and relaxation. With so many great occasions to socialise, from concerts and festivals to sporting events and craft markets, it’s not surprising fraudsters push ticket scams on Black Friday.

Van Vlaanderen warned that criminals usually focus on sold-out events, offering fake tickets to highly sought-after sporting matches and concerts. Scammers will use phoney pictures of tickets to fool fans or publish a made-up story about why they cannot attend to sound more legitimate.

She added that once the cash is sent, the scammers simply disappear, leaving behind an anonymous, untraceable online identity and an angry fan left out of pocket.

Staying safe on Black Friday and beyond

• Ensure your security is up to date – Cybersecurity solutions like antivirus, firewalls and internet protection must be installed on any connected device, especially your mobile phone, when you’re more likely to connect to wi-fi, use banking apps, and make online payments.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.
• Only shop on websites you know and trust – Always type out the correct website address in your browser rather than clicking on a link.
• Stay away from public Wi-Fi – Criminals often intercept public wi-fi by creating a fake hotspot in the same area as a genuine hotspot.
• Only use secure payment services – and never share your OTP or passwords with anyone.

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