Black Friday: How to stay safe from scams as a third of Brits fall victim

One in three British scam victims has fallen prey to criminals during sales events, research has revealed in advance of this year's Black Friday.

Criminals typically cash-in on such events by offering fake deals and even creating counterfeit shopping websites to capture details from victims.

The research from NordVPN firm found that 12 million British people have been scammed while shopping online, with one in 14 people (7%) saying that they have fallen foul of a scammer on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

The research involved 1,001 British shoppers and found that 94% of Britons would disclose personal information for better deals – with 41% willing to share details such as their likes and dislikes, which criminals can use to guess passwords.

Adrianus Warmenhoven, cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, said: "Black Friday is a time when millions of Brits are preparing to part with their cash – and scammers are waiting in the wings to take advantage.

"Shop with secure websites and trusted sellers and be wary of any site asking for details that they don't need. If they are offering you a better deal in exchange for your personal information, it is because this has significant value to them.

"With the psychological pressure of 'flash' sales and limited-time discounts, it's all too easy to click on things without thinking about what it is you've just agreed to."

Read more

• Companies play catch-up on cybersecurity (Bloomberg)

• How to keep children safe on mobile phones (Yahoo News)

• Head teachers warned on cyber risk (National World)

Why is it called Black Friday?

Starting around the 1960s and early 1970s, police and bus drivers in Philadelphia used the term "Black Friday" to refer to the chaos an influx of people to the city created before the Thanksgiving weekend.

Visitors would trawl the stores in Philadelphia on Friday with their Christmas lists looking for gifts. Shoplifting and parking violations ensued.

Department stores re-branded the time of year "Big Friday" to put a more positive spin on it.

But the name did not stick, and since the 1980s retailers began to describe Black Friday as the day when their retail ledgers are supposedly "in the black", or operating at a profit, as customers start holiday shopping.

How can you stay safe this Black Friday?

Only give as much information as needed – a legitimate website will only request details needed to make a transaction and ship your order.

Check the URL – without knowing it, you may have stumbled onto a fraudulent website that is taking advantage of a URL that is similar to a well-known brand, a practise known as typosquatting.

Watch out for misspelt website names, such as 'Amazun.com' or 'n1ke.com', as they are likely a front to con you out of money. If you receive an email advertising Black Friday sales with a link to a deal and notice that the URL is shorter than usual, be cautious – while many are genuine, this can be a tactic used to dupe consumers or infect a device with malware.

Avoid shopping on public wifi. It's generally best to avoid shopping online using public wifi networks because they typically have weaker security and can be scanned and breached by hackers. If you lack alternatives, VPNs are a way to encrypt your connection and protect your data.

Monitor your bank statements. One of the best ways to ensure you aren't being scammed is by monitoring your bank statements online or via mobile banking. Doing this allows you to not only keep track of purchases and costs but can also help you respond quickly in case you notice a suspicious transaction.