Consumer Watchdog Warns of Sophisticated Online Scams as Black Friday Shopping Begins

Irish consumers are facing increasingly elaborate online scams as the busiest shopping period of the year gets underway, according to new research published by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

The CCPC has released a collection of real case studies documenting fraud experiences between November 2024 and August 2025, revealing losses ranging from €42 to €20,000. The warning comes as Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales attract millions of shoppers, with almost 40 per cent of consumers surveyed expecting to make purchases during the sales period.

The case studies highlight a wide range of scam methods targeting Irish consumers, including fake websites cloning trusted retailers, phishing emails, fraudulent employment offers, rental accommodation scams and investment fraud. Of particular concern are advertisements on social media platforms, where scammers create convincing replicas of legitimate businesses to deceive shoppers.

The CCPC research examined 30 fraud cases, with a total of almost €60,000 lost across all incidents. Of this amount, less than €5,000 had been recovered at the time of the interviews. The most significant financial losses were linked to fake cryptocurrency schemes, which accounted for over €28,000, and fraudulent service offers, totalling almost €12,000.

Social media platforms emerged as a significant source of fraud, with seven of nine social media related cases originating from a single platform. In many instances, scammers used professional design, AI generated imagery and false brand endorsements to establish false credibility.

Grainne Griffin, Director of Communications at the CCPC:

"As the busiest shopping season of the year kicks off, it's important that consumers avoid rushing into online purchases and transactions. Online scams have become more and more sophisticated, using convincing images and stories and carefully tailoring their ads to seem like they're a trustworthy business."

The CCPC is advising consumers to follow three simple steps when shopping online. First, stop and think before engaging with offers that seem too good to be true or create artificial urgency. Second, search for independent reviews on sites like Trustpilot or Reddit, remembering that logos and imagery can be fabricated. Third, stay safe by watching for red flags such as unusually large discounts, unfamiliar websites, recently created social media profiles and exclusively five star reviews.

The watchdog strongly recommends using credit cards, debit cards or trusted payment providers rather than direct bank transfers, as these offer stronger protection through chargeback provisions.

Grainne Griffin, Director of Communications at the CCPC:

"For the sake of your finances and your safety, take care when shopping online. Don't let tactics like time sensitive offers or countdown clocks pressure you into making a decision you might regret. Do your research, take your time, and don't take risks, no matter how tempting the deal – you can lose an awful lot of money in just a few clicks."

Consumers who believe they have been scammed should contact their bank or payment provider immediately to initiate a chargeback and potentially freeze their card. All incidents should be reported to An Garda Síochána at the local Garda office.

The CCPC's research found that money was fully recovered in 14 of the 30 cases examined, with consumers most likely to recover funds when payments were made by debit card. Payments made via bank transfer, including through online only banking apps, were rarely recovered as financial institutions regarded these transactions as authorised.

For detailed information on different types of scams and how to identify them, consumers can visit ScamUniversity.ie.