Black Friday and Cyber Monday are among the year’s biggest online shopping events, with millions of Australians searching for bargains. While retailers prepare for increased demand, scammers do too, building fake websites, sending phishing messages and placing deceptive ads designed to steal money and personal information. Fraudulent activity typically rises during major shopping periods.
Common scams to watch for:
- AI fake online stores – Professional-looking websites that use deepfake videos, fake reviews, manufactured product images and convincing logos to appear legitimate.
- Phishing emails and texts – Messages that appear to come from trusted retailers or delivery companies, asking you to “confirm your order” or “track your parcel.”
- Social media ads – Ads promoting unrealistic prices or fake giveaways that redirect you to malicious sites.
- Payment scams – Requests for direct bank transfers or cryptocurrency payments instead of secure options like credit cards or PayPal.
It’s also important to note that even legitimate retailers may occasionally use misleading promotions, such as limited-time claims that create false urgency, “store-wide” discounts that exclude most products, or “up to X% off” deals where only a small number of items receive the highest discount.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is conducting a sweep of retailers to ensure their sales advertising is accurate, transparent, and not likely to mislead or deceive consumers.
If you’re planning to shop during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, check prices before promotions begin so you can compare and ensure the discount is genuine.
How to protect yourself
You can still enjoy the sales, just shop smart:
- Stick to trusted retailers:- Buy from official brand websites or authorised sellers.
- Check URLs carefully:- Look for subtle spelling differences, extra characters or unusual domain names.
- Recognise fake website: AI generated images and videos can show unnatural facial expressions, inconsistent lighting, blurred lip movements. Verify the legitimacy by checking the contact details.
- Avoid clicking on suspicious links: Type the retailer’s URL directly or use a bookmark instead of following links from emails, texts or social media.
- Use secure payment methods: Credit cards and PayPal generally offer better buyer protection than direct bank transfers or cryptocurrency if something goes wrong.
- Be wary of offers that seem too good to be true: They usually are.
- Don’t succumb to pressure: Don’t let countdown timers or low stock pressure you into buying.
- Verify social media offers: Don’t rely solely on celebrity videos or influencer posts, check the retailer’s official channels.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales can provide a great opportunity to save on your purchases, but it’s also a prime time for scammers. Take a moment to double-check before you click, buy, or share any personal information. A few seconds of caution can save you from weeks of stress and financial loss.
Need help?
If you believe someone has gained access to your bank account and/or personal information, even if the scam appears unrelated to your finances, you should contact your bank immediately. A timely response can be critical.
- If you have concerns about your account contact us immediately.
- You can report cybercrime directly to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC).
- Find out how scams work, how to protect yourself, what to do if you’ve been scammed or report a scam to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) via Scamwatch.
- Change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication to protect your accounts.
As always, we remain committed to your security and privacy online. To understand how we help to keep you safe, please refer to our Security page. For more information on common scams and how to protect yourself, please visit the News section of our website.
