Don’t Let Black Friday Turn Your Bank Account RED: A Guide to Avoiding Online Scams

• Don’t Race to the ‘Buy Now’ button
• Simple way to create a Bulletproof password
• Black Friday can end in disaster – here’s how to avoid that

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the entire festive shopping season are a golden opportunity for savvy shoppers to grab incredible deals. Unfortunately, they’re also a prime hunting ground for scammers, phishers, and other online miscreants looking to exploit the rush and excitement. As you navigate the digital aisles, staying vigilant is your best defence.

Here’s how to protect yourself and ensure your Black Friday savings don’t become a scammer’s gain.

Be Wary of “Too Good to Be True” Deals

This is the golden rule of online shopping. If a deal seems impossibly good, it probably is. Scammers often dangle unbelievably low prices on high-demand items to lure victims.

Action: If an item is listed significantly below its market value across other retailers, proceed with extreme caution. Research the seller independently.

Scrutinize Emails and SMSes: Phishing is Rampant

During peak shopping seasons, your inbox and phone will be flooded with promotional messages. Phishers mimic legitimate brands to trick you into revealing personal information or clicking malicious links.

Check the Sender: Look closely at the “From” address. It should match the official domain of the company (e.g., support@amazon.com, not amazon-deals@gmail.com). Slight misspellings are a common tactic (amaz0n.com vs amazon.com).

Hover Over Links (Don’t Click!): Before clicking any link, hover your mouse over it (on desktop) or long-press it (on mobile) to see the actual URL. If it doesn’t match the expected website, it’s likely a scam.

Look for Red Flags: Generic greetings (“Dear Customer”), poor grammar, spelling mistakes, and a sense of urgency (“Act now or lose out!”) are classic phishing indicators.

Go Directly to the Source: If an email announces an amazing deal, don’t click the link. Instead, open your browser and type the retailer’s official URL directly (e.g., www.stratlec.co.za) to verify the offer.

Verify Websites: Is it Legitimate or a Look-alike?

Fake websites are designed to steal your payment information or deliver counterfeit goods.

Check the URL: Ensure the website address is correct (e.g., www.woolworths.co.za, not woolworths-store.co). Look for https:// at the beginning, indicating a secure connection (though even scam sites can have this now).

Look for the Padlock Icon: A padlock symbol in the browser’s address bar indicates an SSL certificate, meaning your connection is encrypted. However, this alone doesn’t guarantee the site is legitimate.

Website Quality: Assess the site’s overall quality. Poor design, low-resolution images, broken links, and bad grammar are red flags.

Contact Information: Legitimate sites will have clear contact information (phone number, physical address, email). Test them if unsure.

Use Secure Payment Methods

How you pay can make a big difference in your protection if a scam occurs.

Credit Cards: Credit cards often offer strong fraud protection and chargeback options, allowing you to dispute unauthorized or fraudulent transactions.

Reputable Payment Gateways: Use trusted gateways like PayPal, PayFast, or Peach Payments. Avoid direct bank transfers, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency payments to unknown sellers, as these are almost impossible to reverse.

Avoid Saving Card Details (Unless Highly Trusted): While convenient, saving card details on less-frequented or new websites increases your risk if their security is breached.

Protect Your Personal Information

Be stingy with the information you share online.

Only Provide Necessary Information: Legitimate retailers only need information relevant to your purchase and shipping. Be suspicious if they ask for your ID number, bank account details (beyond payment for the transaction), or other sensitive data unnecessarily.

Strong, Unique Passwords: Use strong, unique passwords for each online shopping account. Consider a password manager.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enable 2FA wherever possible (e.g., for banking apps, email, and major shopping accounts). This adds an extra layer of security.

Create a Long Password for EACH Web Site Account – A Bulletproof method

Suggestion – choose a core set of letters, number and special characters as a BASE for your password, e.g. TwoWords!@#456, then apply a standard set of rules based on the web site that you find yourself on, e.g. Insert web site name after the exclamation mark AND the domain identifier at the end – using this method your password for Fraud Alert will be: TwoWordsFraudAlert!@#456.co.za. And there you have an easy to remember long password that allows you to have a UNIQUE Password for EVERY web site you visit.

In that way you also have an audit trail to see where a password leak occurred.

Be Cautious with Public Wi-Fi

Avoid Sensitive Transactions: Public Wi-Fi networks (coffee shops, malls) are often unsecured, making it easier for criminals to intercept your data. Avoid making purchases or accessing banking details on public Wi-Fi.

Use a VPN: If you must use public Wi-Fi, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to encrypt your connection.

Monitor Your Bank Statements

Regular Checks: Keep a close eye on your bank and credit card statements during and after the Black Friday period.

Report Suspicious Activity: Report any unauthorized or suspicious transactions to your bank immediately.

Be Skeptical of Social Media Ads

Scammers frequently use social media platforms to promote fake deals.

Research the Seller: Don’t blindly trust an ad because it appears in your feed. Click on the seller’s profile and check for legitimacy (age of account, reviews, follower engagement, professional content).

Look for Reviews: Search for reviews of the company or product outside of the social media platform.

Black Friday offers incredible opportunities, but a little extra caution goes a long way. By being vigilant, skeptical, and following these guidelines, you can enjoy the thrill of securing great deals without falling prey to online scammers. Happy (and safe) shopping!

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Ali Manzu: Ali Manzu is a Ugandan journalist who has worked for the BBC World Service and the Voice of America. He is
known for his reporting on the African continent.