Don’t get scammed on Black Friday
I’ve joined forces with James Bore, a chartered security professional and founder of Bores.com, to provide consumers with Ten Top Tips to protect themselves from online fraud:
Ten top tips for avoiding scams
1) It’s easy for criminals to build a convincing site, or clone an existing shopping site. One of the key points that’s been repeated over the years is to trust sites which show a padlock. The problem is that all this really means is the site has what’s called an “SSL certificate” to protect your communication with it, not that it’s genuine in any other way.
2) Emails, texts, and even online adverts may not take you to genuine sites or real offers. If in any doubt, or if the message is unexpected, then going directly to the site, by typing in the website address you’ve used in the past, is always safer. If it’s not a site you’ve used before, search for it by name, and follow the search results. Be aware that appearing high in search results does not mean a site is real.
3) Any time you’re visiting an online shop you haven’t used before, check feedback from independent sites. Consumer review sites are a good source for these. And while they may still have false reviews, they try to spot and minimise them. A series of bad reviews, or exclusively overwhelmingly positive reviews, with very little commentary, are a sign that you may want to look elsewhere.
4) You’ll occasionally see advice about using credit cards for online purchases. Doing this can be useful, as credit cards provide a degree of protection and allow refunds in certain circumstances. Using a credit card also means that, unlike a debit card, if your details are stolen then your main bank account isn’t accessible. For better results, use a credit card with the lowest spending limit you can, so that any losses are kept as small as possible in the event of credit card theft.
5) An alternative to credit cards when you’re concerned with your card details being stolen is “single-use” cards. Certain “challenger” banks and other services will allow you to create virtual card details to be used once, and then immediately cancelled. Using these means that, even if someone does steal your card details, they won’t be able to use them. They’re also a great option for trial subscriptions.
6) You can also use online platforms, such as PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay, which may provide their own dispute resolution system. If the item costs over a £100 and you pay by credit card you will also have worldwide cover under Section 75A of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Notify the credit card provider if you get no redress from the retailer.
For items paid for using your bank debit card, you may be able to use Chargeback. It is a voluntary scheme based on scheme rules set by card issuers such as Mastercard and Visa.
You also have cover when shopping with PayPal. However, completing a credit card transaction through a third-party payment service means that the credit card provider and the seller are no longer in a direct relationship, so are not equally liable. This applies to services such as PayPal, Amazon Marketplace, Worldpay and Google Checkout. So, you don’t have any credit card cover if you use these kind of services.
7) Card payments are also the time when the secure “padlock” in the browser matters. You should never put any card details or other sensitive details into a site without the padlock symbol.
8) While not a guarantee, it’s worth noting the majority of online shopping sites will have well-recognised domain name endings, such as .com or .co.uk. Anything else shouldn’t necessarily ring alarm bells, but should get you looking carefully for other evidence of a site’s authenticity.
9) Any discount or offer that seems overly generous needs to ring alarm bells. Companies will not offer 50-80% discounts on products that are in high demand. Fraudsters will use these offers to try and trigger excitement and an emotional response, which limits critical thinking and makes people more likely to buy before they think things through. Any time something seems to be too good to be true, take a minute to step away and give yourself time to process.
10) Another common trick is to try and build in a sense of urgency to convince people to buy. This plays on human psychology, where we are more affected by the potential loss of something, than the potential gain of it. Presenting a limited offer with only a few hours to buy at a huge discount is a very effective way to override critical thinking and convince potential victims to pay or provide card details before they can become too suspicious.
@thecomplainingcow How to stay safe and not be tricked into a scam on Black Friday weekend #Scams #Scammers #BlackFridayScam #MoneyTipsAndTricks #ShoppingOnline
@thecomplainingcow How to make sure you get a black Friday bargain #BlackFridayBargains #MoneyTipsAndTricks #BlackFridayShopping #blackfridaydealstiktok#MoneySavingTips
More information and help about Black Friday
Understand the psychological tricks retailers use & how to get real Black Friday bargains
Black Friday Bargains – but are they really?
Make it a happy shopping Black Friday, not a scammy one
Make Light Work of Black Friday – how to get real bargains
10 Top Tips for getting the best from Black Friday
Consumer Champion brings light to Black Friday
How to complain about Black Friday purchases if something goes wrong
And of course if there is anything wrong with your purchases you might need the books!
For more advice, tips, information and template letters covering holidays and more: GET THE BOOK! How To Complain: The ESSENTIAL Consumer Guide to Getting REFUNDS, Redress and RESULTS!
Want to get better at complaining? See 101 Habits of an Effective Complainer
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456 Ways to Save Money on Christmas Throughout the Year Save on food, presents, cards, activities, decorations, holidaying, festivities and entertainment without cutting back on the fun and enjoyment.
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