BLACK FRIDAY

Black Friday becoming Black Fraud Day consumers are being warned

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2024

Cyber security body in the UK cautions that scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and AI makes dodgy deals harder to detect.

A Black Friday approaches – and with many businesses already starting to offer ‘specials’ in the lead up to the big day on 29 November – Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre this week launched a public awareness campaign to warn consumers of the growing danger of scams. 

 

Richard Horne, Chief Executive of the NCSC, said fraudsters are “targeting bargain hunters with increasingly sophisticated scams, sometimes crafted using AI, making them harder to detect”. 

 

Fake clothing or high-end tech listings on social media are among the common strategies being used to con shoppers in the UK. Bringing urgency into the deal – where people need to buy immediately to take full advantage of the ‘deal’ – is also a warning that something is wrong.

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels

Other advice from the NCSC is that shoppers should set up a two-step verification, which provides an extra layer of protection and means that even if a criminal knows your password, they still will not be able access your accounts.  

 

Consumers should also research the seller by looking at reviews on trusted review sites, as well as avoid clicking on links where possible. 

 

Prime time for cyber criminals 

 

As people head into the holiday shopping season, they are understandably eager to find the best deals online, Horne said. “Unfortunately, this is also prime time for cyber criminals, who exploit bargain hunters with increasingly sophisticated scams.” 

 

According to Action Fraud, Britain’s scam reporting centre, more than 40% of the reports it receives relate to scams on social media sites. Online marketplaces feature in just under 20% of scam reports. 

 

Three, a telecoms company operating the UK, last year said it received almost 3,500 scam reports a day from its customers during the Black Friday period. 

 

Data from South Africa’s Standard Bank indicates that digital wallets – including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay – accounted for 37% of all online purchases in 2023 and may reach close to 50% in 2024.  

 

“This shows a broader shift in consumer behaviour toward more convenient, efficient payment options,” said Dr Belinda Rathogwa, Head of Digital and eCommerce at the bank. 

 

“However, cybercriminals also view this shift as an opportunity, prompting them to target online shoppers during Black Friday,” she added.

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