Dates to know
Black Friday falls on 27 November 2026, and Cyber Monday on 30 November 2026. Scammers prepare for weeks before, so the risk starts in early November.
Seven common tricks
- Fake shops with brand-new domains and professional photos, advertised on social media.
- Too-good-to-be-true prices on phones, consoles and designer goods.
- Fake delivery texts claiming a parcel problem and sending you to a look-alike site. See toll and parcel text scams.
- Fake order confirmations for things you did not buy, with a “cancel” link or phone number.
- Gift card and voucher scams offering free money for a survey.
- Cloned retailer apps that are not published by the real retailer.
- Payment requests by bank transfer or gift card that cannot be reversed.
A 60-second check before you buy
- Type the shop’s address yourself or use the official app, instead of an ad or text link.
- Look up the company: an address, phone number and returns policy that you can verify.
- Search the shop name plus “scam” and read recent independent reviews.
- Check the domain age and spelling. A single changed letter is a red flag.
- Compare the price at two big retailers. A massive gap is a warning.
- Check who published an app on the store page before installing.
Payment habits that protect you
- Use a credit card or a payment method with dispute rights.
- Never pay by bank transfer, crypto or gift card to a seller you do not know.
- Turn on purchase alerts from your bank.
- Use a different, strong password for shopping accounts and enable two-factor authentication.
After the order
- Track your parcel in the retailer’s own app.
- Ignore texts demanding a “redelivery fee”. Real carriers do not collect fees by text link.
- Keep receipts and screenshots until the return window closes.
If you were scammed
Call your bank immediately, report it to your national fraud authority and block the sender. For texts, forward them to 7726 where available. More: blocking spam texts.
The same habit helps everywhere: if an offer is urgent and too good, stop and check. Read also cloud mining scam red flags.