- I'd say it's prime time
to figure out the Black Friday scams to avoid.
Shall we?
I'm gonna list all the prevalent Black Friday scams
and give you advice on what to do to avoid them.
During Black Friday and Cyber Monday,
scams are on the rise,
targeting your personal data and money all together.
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One of the easiest Black Friday sale scams to pull off
is a fake order scam.
It starts with an official looking email
claiming you have a problem with your online order.
After that, you are prompted to click the link
in the email to solve the issue,
leading you to the fake website designed
to extract your payment details.
During Black Friday, it's easy to fall prey
to online scams like this one.
So getting an email from Amazon or eBay
is not out of the ordinary.
But even outside the season, the damage is colossal.
In 2021 alone, this type of scam yielded
almost $2 billion collectively for the scammers.
To avoid this Black Friday online scam,
just never click the link included in the email.
Instead, type the website manually.
If the email was legit,
you'd see that upon visiting the website properly.
Just as fake emails can try to trick you,
there are fake website scams.
These are more elaborate as fraudsters create a copy
of a real website aimed to trick you.
These kind of online shopping scams
will usually target smaller scale online stores.
Scammers will spread fake links
to the copied websites through social media and email.
This scam is as easy to avoid as the email one.
Never click the suspicious links
and look for discrepancies.
For example, there could be mistakes in website design
or misspellings in the website name.
The next scam to ruin your Black Friday shopping
is similar to the first one but with a twist.
The fake delivery notifications scam
can come in the form of email or SMS from FedEx, UPS
or the US Postal Services.
That message will be claiming there's a delivery addressed
to you waiting for pickup.
All you have to do is click the link
and log in to check the delivery method.
That is if you want to get scammed.
The old lesson stands.
Click no links but also monitor your orders
through the seller's website
and double check all arriving orders.
I know you could be saying,
"I don't need to save my money.
If I get scammed, I can always get refunds."
Well, not if you are using a gift card.
The gift card scam exists
because gift cards and coupon purchases
are actually untraceable
and thus cannot be refunded or canceled.
So if you come by Black Friday deals
but the only payment method the seller takes is a gift card
or a coupon, just pass by.
I know we've been talking a lot about risky stuff,
all those Black Friday scams.
Let's avoid all those spending all together
and donate to a nice charity instead, right?
Yeah, as if.
Scammers are there are well employing
all their previous holiday shopping scams
in conjunction to create fake charity organizations.
People do feel compelled to donate to charity
around this time of the year
but if your donation gets pocketed by frauds,
what's the point then?
Fortunately, this is some very hard scam to pull.
There has to be a lot of coordinated social media posts,
a well-designated website
and promotional emails spread for it to work.
Still, I recommend always research your charity thoroughly
before making a donation.
There have been a lot of fake Black Friday scams
to avoid today but the ways
to avoid them are definitely real.
Apart from the advice I've given,
there are a few points that can protect you
from Black Friday sale scams.
First, don't buy from retailers you have never heard of.
If the deal is too good to be pass, google it.
Figure out if it's real
and act only after you are sure it's not a scam.
Second, avoid websites that look sketchy.
Fake websites have similar designs and names
but that likeness is artificial.
Click on different elements on the website.
Check the name of the website.
Look for weird visual elements
and you will be able to recognize a fake.
Third, unfamiliar links are a good sign
of the Black Friday scams to avoid.
If you get an email containing a link,
better look up the website on Google
and check it that way.
Even emails from friends can belong
to a hacked account, so be vigilant.
Fourth is the best way to ensure
that no Black Friday or Cyber Monday scams can get you.
I'm talking about specialized software,
like password managers, antiviruses and VPNs.
Password managers can give you an opportunity
to use complex passwords
without being afraid of forgetting them.
Antiviruses prevents any malware
from slipping to your device
from files attached to emails or suspicious websites.
And VPNs can encrypt your online connection
to prevent third-party tamperings.
Plus, good VPN providers can now block banners,
ads and malicious links on websites,
including those leading to fake websites.
I will leave my list of the top cybersecurity apps
on the description, so please check that out.
You can even get an app
that you like with a special Black Friday deal.
Thanks for watching this video.
I wish you a safe Black Friday shopping
and have a great day.
See you again soon, and if this video was helpful,
maybe subscribe, leave a like, you know, the usual.
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