4 Black Friday scams to avoid
You may have heard about the typical tricks retailers use on Black Friday — marking up prices just to mark them down, for example — but you may not know about other possible rip-offs that threaten to spoil your savings. Here are some scams that have the potential to turn the best day of the season for shopping for deals deal into a financial nightmare.
1. Fake coupons
What could be better for a bargain shopper than finding a coupon to use on an already-discounted Black Friday deal? And there are sure to be a lot of coupons floating around online this season — but not all of them will be real.
Norton, the anti-virus software, warns holiday shoppers to beware of coupons that are really not coupons at all. Instead, these fake savings opportunities are actually a cybercriminal's way of luring you to a website that may ask you to input your credit card information.
Be careful not to click on any suspicious-looking coupons from social media sites or download what could be phishing schemes disguised as coupons from non-reputable websites.
If you're not sure whether a coupon is legitimate, check official retail store websites or read Black Friday ads for genuine coupons and deal information.
2. Phony e-mails
Sometimes you don't have to stumble across scams on the Internet — they might be delivered straight to you.
Spam e-mails (and even text messages) may try to lure you to click on compromising links. Because of their widespread appeal, Apple products tend to be particularly common bait for e-mail scams.
Despite these cyber ploys, you'll receive many legitimate e-mails in the days and weeks leading up to Black Friday, too. In fact, signing up for e-mail lists from retailers such as Target or Best Buy is an excellent way to receive Black Friday sales news as soon as they're released.
So how can you ensure that the messages in your inbox are the real thing? A few useful holiday shopping tips from the FBI:
Check the sender's e-mail address. If you don't recognize the sender, or didn't sign up to receive notifications from the address, don't respond to it or click on any links within the message. Be wary of what you save to your computer. Don't download any attachments from unsolicited e-mails, as they may contain viruses. If you're not completely sure that an e-mail is legitimate, contact the store, bank or organization the message is purported to be from. Instead of using any links or contact information contained within the e-mail, go to the retailer's official website as these phone numbers or e-mail contacts will be more reliable. Use common sense. If a deal seems too good to be true, it most likely is.
3. Bogus products
If you're planning to purchase a product online, be sure that the product you want is actually the product you'll get. This Black Friday — and throughout the holiday shopping season — you may run across websites that promise great deals but are actually peddling phony goods.
These sites promise to deliver customers high-quality items for huge discounts, but fall for the scheme and you'll likely end up with a cheap knockoff . Especially vulnerable to this tactic are shoppers in the market for luxury goods, which counterfeit dealers may advertise online for enticingly low prices.
When in doubt, research the merchant and try running the name of the website through the Better Business Bureau's business search. Also note that counterfeit products may be advertised in bogus online classified ads, too.
4. Data breaches
This one isn't necessarily a scam per se, but it's definitely something to keep in mind before you start swiping plastic this Black Friday: data breaches.
In 2013, retail giant Target suffered a massive Black Friday data breach. Upwards of 70 million shoppers may have had their names, card numbers, expiration dates and CVV three-digit security codes compromised or stolen. Other major retailers — such as Home Depot and Neiman Marcus — have also fallen victim to data breaches recently.
In the event that criminals attempt to swipe more customer data this Black Friday, try to protect yourself when you hit the stores. If you have the option to pay with either a credit card or a debit card, opt for the credit, as it will be easier to dispute charges if your information falls into the wrong hands.
While it may not always be feasible, paying with cash is the best way to avoid having any information stolen.
NerdWallet is a USA TODAY content partner providing general news, commentary and coverage from around the Web. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.
MORE: Buck tradition: Make money on Black Friday
MORE: Bitcoin Black Friday: A shopping holiday for digital spending