As holiday shopping ramps up, scammers are taking advantage of Black Friday sales to exploit consumers. Fake websites and advertisements for brands like IKEA, Wayfair, and The North Face are tricking shoppers into sharing their payment and personal information. This surge in scams contributes to what has been a record-breaking year for online fraud in the U.S.
Fraudulent Sites Imitate Trusted Brands
A report by EclecticIQ uncovered a network of more than 8,000 fake websites offering deceptive discounts on popular items. These sites, designed to mimic official retailers, use realistic URLs and “Trusted Store” labels to appear legitimate. Examples include wayfairtoday.com and wayfairblackfriday.com, where shoppers were offered unrealistic deals, such as an $800 mattress for $39.
Social media platforms have also been infiltrated. Fraudulent ads featuring logos of major brands redirected users to counterfeit sites. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have removed some of these ads, but scammers constantly adjust their strategies to evade detection.
Soaring Fraud Costs in 2023
Online scams have cost U.S. consumers over $12.5 billion in 2023, marking a 22% increase from the previous year, according to the FBI. Fraudsters are leveraging advanced technology, including AI, to craft highly convincing scams. Analysts discovered links to Mandarin coding and Chinese IP addresses, suggesting some of these campaigns are operated from China.
Retailers such as IKEA and The North Face are actively working to combat these scams, collaborating with platforms to identify and take down fraudulent activity.
How to Protect Yourself always and in Black Friday
Experts urge shoppers to remain cautious and adopt proactive measures when shopping online:
- Access official sites directly: Use search engines to reach retailer websites instead of clicking on links in emails or texts.
- Be wary of too-good-to-be-true deals: Unrealistic discounts or websites with aggressive pop-ups are major red flags.
- Secure your accounts: Enable multifactor authentication and use strong, unique passwords for shopping and banking accounts.
- Check reviews and ratings: Use resources like the Better Business Bureau to verify a website’s legitimacy.
If you suspect fraud, report it immediately to your bank and update your account passwords. Consider freezing your credit to prevent identity theft, especially if sensitive data like your social security number has been compromised.
Online shopping fraud ranked as the second most common scam in 2023, according to the Federal Trade Commission. As scammers ramp up their efforts during the holiday season, shoppers must stay vigilant to avoid falling victim to these sophisticated schemes.
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