Warning issued to Black Friday shoppers after 'more than 16,000 reports'
Black Friday is turning into Black Fraud Day, the UK cybersecurity chief has warned. More than 16,000 reports of online shopping fraud were recorded between November 2023 and January 2024 - with Black Friday a particular hotspot.
The festive season had become “prime time for cybercriminals” as consumers hunted for deals, said Richard Horne, the chief executive of GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Fraudsters were “targeting bargain hunters with increasingly sophisticated scams, sometimes crafted using AI, making them harder to detect”, he added.
“Never feel pressured into buying anything online,” said Adam Mercer, the deputy director of Action Fraud. “Creating a false sense of urgency is a tell-tale sign of a fraudster.” He added: “Whether you are shopping on online marketplaces, social media or retailers, avoid bank transfers if you can, and use a credit card as it can provide more protection if anything goes wrong.”
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Fraud minister Lord Hanson said: “We know that more needs to be done to tackle online fraud. That’s why we are delighted to support initiatives like this, through the Stop! Think Fraud campaign, which provide practical, actionable advice to the public to stay safe from scams. And our message to anyone shopping online as we approach Black Friday is simple: if you come across anything that doesn’t feel right – stop what you’re doing, break contact, and do not click any links.
“This Labour Party Government is committed to defeating this scourge and we will continue our work with industry and other partners to better protect the public from this appalling crime.” According to the Action Fraud figures, 43% of the reports to Action Fraud mentioned a social media platform, with online marketplaces being mentioned in just under 19% of cases.
The figures also showed that those aged 30-39 submitted the most reports, followed by 40 to 49-year-olds.