Nord VPN: Fake Websites Up 250% Ahead of Black Friday

It’s time to bag big bargains this Black Friday, but keep an eye out for savings that seem too good to be true.

This year's busiest shopping season is festive for cybercriminals too, as fake shopping websites have gone up by 250%, according to research from Nord VPN.

Fake Ebay websites have skyrocketed by 525%, while Amazon copycats have risen by 232% ahead of the Black Friday shopping frenzy. 

Data from the City of London Police shows that shoppers lost a whopping £11m during last year's festive season and this year's projected loss is much higher.  

“Shopping events like Black Friday are a goldmine for cybercriminals,” says Marijus Briedis, Chief Technology Officer at NordVPN.

“Scammers exploit the frenzy around doorbuster deals and flash sales, knowing that rushed shoppers are more likely to click on malicious links or share personal information without thinking twice. 

“Even in the heat of bargain hunting, people need to maintain good cyber hygiene.”

How to spot shopping scams?

According to NordVPN's National Privacy Test, 68% of consumers globally do not know how to spot spoofed websites. 

With cybercriminals using AI to design almost identical replicas of your favorite shopping websites, verifying the legitimacy of the sites before you hand over sensitive information should become second nature. 

First thing to look out for are offers and prices that seem too good to be true, while most companies give generous black friday discounts, scammers will offer you even more, to lure you into their trap. 

Verify that your website has “https” in its link and a padlock icon that shows that your connection is secure. 

You can find the icon towards the left of the site’s URL field. 

Fraudsters also email fake coupons and vouchers, which they use as bait to lure you to their spoofed websites from which they can steal sensitive info. 

These scams masquerading as great offers can also directly be phishing links that can infect your device with malware. 

“The fundamentals of cybersecurity can sometimes be forgotten during major online shopping events,” says Marijus.

“Shoppers should never click links in unsolicited emails, even if they appear from legitimate sites. 

“Instead, navigate directly to the official website. Read customer reviews and filter from worst to best to spot recurring complaints.”

Scammers upgrade their game with AI

AI is now used by cybercriminals to make their scams difficult to detect. 

The era of spotting phishing emails by their spelling mistakes and odd grammar is a game of the past, with generative AI that can scale scams with perfectly written messages that can mimic the tone of legitimate brands. 

Scammers now use ads with the likeness and voice of people and brands we trust using deepfakes to sell products that don’t exist or malicious links to giveaways. 

Amp up your skill to spot AI by looking out for monotonous voice, inconsistent lip syncs, unnatural facial features and deals that simply don’t make sense. 

The rise in online fraud with AI powered scams should be cause to browse with caution while bargain hunting for good deals.