Black Friday is traditionally the day when prices are slashed to the bone and thousands of products are on sale at rockbottom pricess, although many large chains and online stores are already offering bargains.
But it’s also a bumper day for cybercriminals who have a number of tricks up their sleeve to persuade customers to part with their money and their personal details.
The Police have announced 6 tips for safe shopping to help people avoid online scammers.
Don’t enter your card number on web pages you have doubts about, always look for the padlock in the browser bar, which is a secure site marker.
Verify the charges made on your bank account
Use intermediate payment platforms.
Set up a double check to approve transactions and put up more barriers to cyber criminals.
Always keep the ticket or receipt as proof of your transaction.
The most common frauds are carding or pharming, where data is stolen or the criminals impersonate the domain name, then steal credit card keys and carry out purchases on behalf of the victim.
Phishing is also common: cyber criminals impersonate the identity of a company in order to access the victim’s password.
Black Friday is on November 28.