Black Friday and Cyber Monday: How to Shop Safely Online and Avoid Scams This November

With Black Friday on 28 November and Cyber Monday on 1 December fast approaching, Irish shoppers are preparing to hunt for bargains. But as spending surges, so does fraud. Almost €100 million was stolen through payment scams in Ireland in 2023, and with 85% of Irish internet users now shopping online, scammers are out in force this year.

From fake websites mimicking genuine retailers to phishing texts claiming to be from An Post, the risks have never been higher. Here's how Cork shoppers can protect themselves while still nabbing those deals.

Why These Shopping Events Are a Scammer's Paradise

Online shopping has become the norm across Ireland. In the first half of 2024, 85% of internet users bought goods or services online, up from 78% in 2023. With over 93% of adults aged 16 and over using the internet regularly, almost everyone is a potential target.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are now core shopping dates in Ireland. A 2024 Banking and Payments Federation Ireland survey found that 66% of online shoppers planned to buy during Black Friday, 54% for Cyber Monday, and 82% in the run-up to Christmas.

Where money flows, fraud follows. Central Bank figures show online payments accounted for roughly 77% of all fraudulent payment value in 2024, approximately €124 million, up nearly a quarter on 2023. The Banking and Payments Federation Ireland reports that 42% of Irish adults recall being targeted by an online shopping scam in the previous 12 months, and 16% say they actually lost money.

Among those who did lose money, over half lost up to €250, while about one in ten lost between €500 and €999. Younger adults and regular online shoppers are particularly exposed, with 18 to 24 year olds significantly more likely to have been both targeted and to have suffered financial losses.

The Problem with "Too Good to Be True" Black Friday Deals

High levels of distrust exist around Black Friday sales. Over two thirds of Irish shoppers do not trust Black Friday deals, according to Competition and Consumer Protection Commission research in 2024. Yet younger people are more likely to shop in the sales, more likely to trust advertised discounts, and less likely to research prices beforehand.

Earlier CCPC research in 2023 showed that 65% of 15 to 24 year olds said they trust the accuracy of advertised Black Friday discounts, making them especially vulnerable to fake or exaggerated offers.

New pricing laws are meant to protect consumers. Under Irish and EU rules, sale prices must show the prior price, which has to be the lowest price the product was on sale for in the previous 30 days. Enforcement is real too. The CCPC has taken several retailers to court, including a high-profile case where Boots admitted breaking the new pricing laws during Black Friday 2023 on certain perfumes and electric toothbrushes.

How to check if a discount is genuine:

Compare prices over time using independent comparison sites, not just the retailer's own chart. Treat "was €X, now €Y" claims with scepticism unless you have seen that higher price yourself in recent weeks. Be extra cautious of countdown timers, "only 2 left at this price" banners, and pop-ups claiming "Mary in Cork just bought this", which can be fake pressure tactics.

Spotting Fake Websites and Scam Shops

An Garda Síochána's golden rules for online shopping include buying only from trusted, reputable websites, checking reviews and ratings, ensuring the website uses secure payment (look for https and a padlock symbol), never sending card details by email or text, and keeping records of all orders and confirmations.

Check the web address carefully. Look for subtle changes like amaz0n.ie, paypall-support.com, or a .net domain where you expect .ie or .com. For brands you know, type the address manually into your browser rather than clicking a link in an email or social media post.

Look beyond the logo. Scammers can easily copy logos, fonts and colours. Warning signs include poor spelling and grammar throughout the site, no physical address or VAT number, no clear contact details, and only generic contact forms with no Irish or EU company information.

Check return and refund policies. Only 39% of Irish shoppers say they check returns policies on unfamiliar sites, even though it is one of the simplest ways to judge if a business is legitimate.

Use reviews wisely. Search for the shop name plus "scam" or "reviews" in an independent search engine. Be wary if you can only find glowing five-star reviews on the retailer's own site.

Avoid sites that only accept bank transfer or cryptocurrency. Legitimate Irish and EU retailers will normally accept cards or trusted payment platforms that offer some buyer protection.

Phishing: Fake Emails, Texts and Order Confirmations

Phishing is one of the main ways Irish consumers are targeted. The National Cyber Security Centre highlights that attackers often spoof big brands, banks or delivery companies and rely on urgency, fear or curiosity to push people into clicking.

Common Black Friday phishing tricks include:

"Order confirmation" emails for items you never bought, with a link to "view your order". Fake missed delivery texts, especially claiming to be from An Post, DHL or other couriers, asking for a small "redelivery fee". "Security alerts" from banks or payment services, urging you to log in immediately via a link.

Red flags to watch for:

Generic greetings like "Dear customer" instead of your name. Slightly wrong sender addresses, for example support@paypai.com. Poor spelling or odd phrasing. Links that do not match the organisation's genuine domain when you hover over them.

Safer behaviour:

Never log in to banking or shopping accounts through a link in a message. Open a new tab and go directly to the official website or app. Do not download attachments from unexpected shopping or delivery emails. If in doubt, contact the company using a phone number or web address you find yourself, not the one in the message.

QR Codes and Social Media Traps

The National Cyber Security Centre warns about "QRishing", where scammers replace a genuine QR code on a poster, restaurant table, or parcel leaflet with a malicious sticker that sends you to a fake payment or login page.

Social media marketplaces are a major risk. Banking and Payments Federation Ireland data shows those who frequently use social media links for shopping are much more likely to report scam targeting and financial loss. Almost half of Irish online shoppers click through from social media posts at least sometimes.

Fake shops may disappear entirely after Black Friday, deleting pages once they have taken payment.

Advice for shoppers:

Treat QR codes in public as you would a link in a text. Check any preview of the URL before you tap through. On social platforms, be suspicious of brand-new pages, especially those offering large discounts on high demand items like consoles or phones. Prefer paying through official marketplace payment systems that offer dispute mechanisms, rather than shifting the payment "off platform" to bank transfer.

Protecting Your Money: Payment and Banking Tips

Use secure payment methods. Gardaí and consumer bodies recommend using credit or debit cards and reputable online payment services instead of bank transfers or money remittance services, which are harder to reverse.

Look for strong customer authentication. Irish banks now use two-factor authentication for many online card payments, for example push notifications, SMS codes, or banking app approvals. If a site bypasses this entirely, be cautious.

Apple Pay and Google Pay can be safer as these methods do not share your card number with the merchant and use tokenisation on your phone.

Never share card details over email, text or messaging apps. This is a recurring warning from Gardaí and fraud awareness campaigns, and remains one of the simplest ways to avoid big losses.

Check statements regularly, especially in late November and December. Irish fraud experts advise reviewing card and bank statements frequently during busy shopping periods to catch small "test" transactions early.

Device and Account Security Basics

Use strong, unique passwords for shopping and banking accounts. Use a password manager rather than reusing the same password on multiple sites.

Turn on two-factor authentication wherever possible. Many Irish banks, email services and big retailers support 2FA or app-based login approvals.

Keep phones, tablets and laptops up to date. Security updates for iOS, Android and desktop systems close known holes that scams can exploit.

Avoid public Wi-Fi for payments. Many shoppers still do not make sure they are on a secure connection when buying from a new or unfamiliar website.

What to Do If You Think You Have Been Scammed

Contact your bank immediately. Ask them to block or monitor your card or account and see if a chargeback or reversal is possible.

Report it to Gardaí. An Garda Síochána advise victims to report online scams at their local station and to bring copies of emails, messages, adverts and bank records.

Report the fake page or advert on the platform. Whether it is Facebook, Instagram, a marketplace app, or a website host, reporting helps stop others being caught.

Change passwords and enable 2FA. If you entered login details on a fake site, change those credentials on the real site immediately and turn on two-factor authentication if available.

Your Consumer Rights

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 and updated EU rules, Irish consumers have strong rights to repair, replacement or refund for faulty goods, including those bought online. You can cancel a faulty purchase within 30 days for a full refund in many cases.

By law, retailers must show the genuine prior price from the last 30 days when advertising discounts. Misleading pricing can be reported to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

While not guaranteed, card schemes often allow chargebacks for non-delivery or misrepresentation when you have paid by card and dealt with the merchant in good faith. Check with your bank for the exact rules.

Shop Smart, Shop Safe

Black Friday and Cyber Monday can deliver genuine bargains, but only if you shop carefully. A few basic checks, a healthy dose of scepticism about "amazing" deals, and secure payment methods can make all the difference.

For more information, visit the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission at ccpc.ie, An Garda Síochána's fraud awareness resources, or the National Cyber Security Centre at ncsc.gov.ie.