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Don’t fall victim
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- Black Friday sees a huge spike in spam calls and fraud attempts
- Fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself this deals season
- Uswitch has provided 5 helpful tips to beat the scammers
The Black Friday deals are well and truly here, and it can be very easy to get a little carried away with all the savings on offer. But pulling the trigger on a deal that’s just too good to be true can have serious repercussions, so it’s important to ensure you don’t fall victim to tricksters and scammers who are on the hunt for your precious card details.
According to both price comparison site Uswitch and a new study from Bitdefender, cons and rip-offs tend to proliferate around Black Friday. Scam messages increase 300% at this time of year compared to the August to October monthly average, and things get even worse in December, with scams up a huge 500%. Social media is also now the top scam channel in the UK, according to Bitdefender.
To help you stay safe, Uswitch highlighted five ways you can swerve the scams and frustrate the fraudsters. Following these tips should give you a fighting chance of keeping your hard-earned cash in your account and out of the hands of scammers.
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The first suggestion is to set up two-factor authentication for online stores using one of the best authenticator apps. This requires an additional means of verifying your identity – such as by entering a unique code sent to one of your devices after you’ve entered a password – and makes it far harder for a scammer to gain access to your account without physically having access to your phone or computer. So, even if a scammer somehow gets your login details, they still can’t get into your account.
Secondly, a popular scammer trick is also to impersonate a reputable retailer’s website, hoping you’ll be too dazzled by the savings on offer to notice you’re somewhere shady. Always carefully check a website’s address and never follow links sent through unexpected emails, calls or texts. Instead, directly visit retailer’s web address so you know it’s genuine, and be sure to check reviews and feedback before parting with your cash.
Spam call hell
In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), fraudsters have a new array of tools at their disposal. One of the most potent is the deepfake, where scammers can convincingly mimic real voices – including those of your friends and family members – to steal your money. If a call feels rushed or unexpected, hang up and call the person back using a number you know is genuine. That way, you can avoid what might be a clever, elaborate hoax.
Fourthly, if you find you’re getting too many spam calls (deepfake or not), your best bet is to use a call-blocking tool that stops unwanted and suspicious calls. Many smartphones have these built in – Apple’s iOS 26 added this recently, while Android has been able to filter calls for a while now. There’s a range of third-party apps that can block the spammers, too, and it’s always a good idea to report this unsolicited contact to the authorities.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inboxContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The final recommendation is that Black Friday shoppers in the UK register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). A similar service in the US is the National Do Not Call Registry. That’s not a guaranteed way to stop spam calls, but it legally prevents companies from contacting you for sales or marketing as long as your name is on this “do not call” list. It’s unlikely to prevent everything, but it’s worth a go.
Try these methods and you’ll have a much better chance of staying safe and avoiding the fraudsters this Black Friday. Keep your wits about you, verify everything before you click the buy button, and remember that if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.
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Alex BlakeSocial Links NavigationFreelance ContributorAlex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.
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