{"id":52674,"date":"2024-11-25T04:49:19","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T09:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=52674"},"modified":"2024-11-25T04:49:19","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T09:49:19","slug":"how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/52674\/","title":{"rendered":"How to save your finances on Black Friday"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In the run-up to any holiday season, scammers get busy. A lot of the time, their actions are rather primitive. Getting ready for Christmas? Expect to be bombarded with fake discounts. Valentine\u2019s Day round the corner? Watch out for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/international-womens-day-scam-2024\/50745\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">fake gifts<\/a>. Big soccer tournament coming up? There\u2019ll be no shortage of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/how-to-watch-euro-2024-safely\/51467\/#:~:text=fake%20tickets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">fake tickets<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But the greatest amount of fake stuff appears the week before Black Friday, the day after US Thanksgiving that marks the start of the Christmas period, which is a global sales bonanza for retailers peddling anything from soap to smart TVs\u00a0\u2014 and for scammers too. Today, in the countdown to Black Friday, we look at the latest cybercriminal tricks and ways to counter them.<\/p>\n<h3>Discounts! Discounts? Discounts\u2026<\/h3>\n<p>Every year in late November, this word experiences a <a href=\"https:\/\/trends.google.com\/trends\/explore?date=today%205-y&amp;q=sales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">popularity spike<\/a>. And the craze for low prices plays right into the hands of scammers, whose emails, coupons and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/how-to-protect-yourself-from-phishing\/42317\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">phishing links<\/a> merge with the mass of genuine offers.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at an example: Walmart \u2014 the world\u2019s largest wholesale and retail chain \u2014 appears to be offering customers a $750 gift card:<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_52681\" style=\"width: 482px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2024\/11\/25042929\/how-to-save-your-finances-on-black-friday-01.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52681\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52681\" src=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2024\/11\/25042929\/how-to-save-your-finances-on-black-friday-01.png\" alt=\"Follow just four simple steps to (not) get a gift card\" width=\"472\" height=\"948\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-52681\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Follow just four simple steps to (not) get a gift card<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s pretty easy to spot the scam here:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>For a start, $750 is a tidy sum. Ever seen a store offering that much before?<\/li>\n<li>To claim your card, you first have to enter your email address and \u201cBasic Info\u201d. It\u2019s effectively the legal purchase of personal data \u2014 but at an astronomical price. Would Walmart really be doing that? Hardly.<\/li>\n<li>And what\u2019s this third point about completing the recommended deal? To get a gift card, you also have to pay? That\u2019s an obvious red flag. You\u2019re definitely dealing with scammers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>At the very least, the cybercriminals will get the victim\u2019s name and postal address (the goods need to be delivered somewhere, right?), bank card details, plus the money forked out to complete the recommended deal. It\u2019s doubly distressing for said victim: they leak their own data, and are lamenting the $750 that never was; they may even blame Walmart itself.<\/p>\n<p>Scammers are human too and understand how much we all love a freebie. And that makes Black Friday the perfect time for another popular scam: fake giveaways. The prizes are goods that everyone wants. For example, a snazzy iPhone 14. Seems like the scammers here aren\u2019t aware that iPhones 15 and 16 are already with us, as is <a href=\"https:\/\/app.appsflyer.com\/id1089969624?pid=smm&amp;c=ww_kasperskydailyplaceholder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">reliable protection<\/a>\u00a0for their owners.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_52680\" style=\"width: 1148px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2024\/11\/25042843\/how-to-save-your-finances-on-black-friday-02.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52680\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52680\" src=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2024\/11\/25042843\/how-to-save-your-finances-on-black-friday-02.png\" alt=\"A telltale sign of fraud is a countdown clock next to a pressing call to action\" width=\"1138\" height=\"725\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-52680\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A telltale sign of fraud is a countdown clock next to a pressing call to action<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Let\u2019s take a closer look at the screenshot. The cybercriminals, lurking behind a big brand \u2014 Amazon \u2014 tempt the victim with a whiff of exclusivity (\u201cWe are offering great prizes to 10 users\u201d), prompting them to answer four simple questions before the clock ticks down. It might look plausible at first glance, but the catch is always the same: the recipient of the \u201cexclusive\u201d offer must act quickly or risk missing out.<\/p>\n<p>As you\u2019ve already guessed, there\u2019s no iPhone\u00a014 to speak of: the scammers simply scrape what personal data they can and may even ask for some kind of payment via a phishing link. As a result, the victim hands over their personal data and bank details, putting their finances at great risk. Read more about Black Friday scams in our <a href=\"https:\/\/securelist.com\/black-friday-report-2024\/114589\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Securelist<\/a> blogpost.<\/p>\n<h2>Black Friday for scammers<\/h2>\n<p>If you think that no one needs your data or it\u2019s been leaked before (and not just once), this story is for you. Our experts have found lots of ads selling personal data at a discount on the dark web. It\u2019s an effective scheme (for the scammers): they email out bulk phishing in advance, harvest victims\u2019 data, then sell it at a discount to other scammers at the end of November. Black Friday for everyone!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_52679\" style=\"width: 1088px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2024\/11\/25042756\/how-to-save-your-finances-on-black-friday-03.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52679\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52679\" src=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2024\/11\/25042756\/how-to-save-your-finances-on-black-friday-03.png\" alt=\"Scammers are happy to give other scammers a 10% discount\" width=\"1078\" height=\"634\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-52679\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Scammers are happy to give other scammers a 10% discount<\/p><\/div>\n<p>All the data is sorted by country and product type: above we see a set of Canadians\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stored-value_card\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">stored-value cards<\/a> and Italians\u2019 debit cards up for grabs. Admit it, you don\u2019t really want your bank details to be part of a special offer for <a href=\"https:\/\/encyclopedia.kaspersky.com\/glossary\/carding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">carders<\/a> on the dark web.<\/p>\n<h2>How to save your finances on Black Friday<\/h2>\n<p>First of all, we advise taking extra special care during the sales season: carefully read giveaway terms and conditions, check the details with the organizers (not by using the link or phone number in the email, but by visiting the official website) and stay informed of all the latest scams and tricks by following our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/tag\/scam\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Kaspersky Daily<\/a> blog.<\/p>\n<p>We understand that navigating the saturated information-flow is tough when you\u2019re being assailed on all sides by promotions, \u201cexclusive\u201d offers and discounts. That\u2019s why we offer a straightforward solution: put your trust in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/premium?icid=gl_bb2023-kdplacehd_acq_ona_smm__onl_b2c_kdaily_lnk_sm-team___kprem___\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">automation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/mobile-security?icid=gl_kdailyplacehold_acq_ona_smm__onl_b2c_kdaily_wpplaceholder_sm-team___kisa____da04049114cf37d2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Kaspersky<\/a>\u00a0app has a Safe Money feature that shows the current level of protection of your finances \u2014 now for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/mobile-security?icid=gl_kdailyplacehold_acq_ona_smm__onl_b2c_kdaily_wpplaceholder_sm-team___kisa____da04049114cf37d2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Android<\/a>\u00a0users, too.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_52678\" style=\"width: 1090px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2024\/11\/25042526\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday-04-EN.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52678\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52678\" src=\"https:\/\/media.kasperskydaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2024\/11\/25042526\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday-04-EN.png\" alt=\"Safe Money in Kaspersky for Android\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1920\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-52678\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Safe Money in Kaspersky for Android<\/p><\/div>\n<p>For unbeatable security, we recommend enabling all protection components on the app\u2019s home screen:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.kaspersky.com\/kaspersky-for-android\/11.117\/127528\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Safe Browsing.<\/strong><\/a> Blocks dangerous websites and checks all links before opening them for you, giving scammers no opportunity to lure you to a phishing site. Remember that Safe Browsing only works in three supported browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Yandex Browser.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.kaspersky.com\/kaspersky-for-android\/11.117\/206459\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Safe Messaging.<\/strong><\/a> Checks for phishing links in all texts and instant messages you receive.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.kaspersky.com\/kaspersky-for-android\/11.117\/218370\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Weak Settings Scan.<\/strong><\/a> Detects vulnerabilities in your phone settings and tells you how to improve your smartphone security.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.kaspersky.com\/kaspersky-for-android\/11.117\/140368\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>VPN.<\/strong><\/a> Protects online payments and prevents your data from being intercepted when using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/how-safe-is-wi-fi-in-paris\/51772\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">public Wi-Fi<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.kaspersky.com\/kaspersky-for-android\/11.117\/143085\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Wi-Fi Security Check.<\/strong><\/a> Checks every Wi-Fi network you connect to and notifies you of any potential danger.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This combination of security features protects you and your finances from the vast majority of scams on Black Friday and beyond. For example, Safe Browsing will stop you from following a phishing link to a scam site to \u201cclaim your $750 gift card\u201d; while Safe Messaging will keep cybercriminals at bay in Telegram and other messengers.<\/p>\n<input type=\"hidden\" class=\"category_for_banner\" value=\"kisa-generic-3\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Black Friday is a great opportunity for scammers to line their pockets \u2014 but not with your money if you follow our advice. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2706,"featured_media":52675,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2683,9],"tags":[200,178,726,131],"class_list":{"0":"post-52674","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-threats","8":"category-tips","9":"tag-black-friday","10":"tag-online-shopping","11":"tag-scam","12":"tag-tips"},"hreflang":[{"hreflang":"x-default","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/52674\/"},{"hreflang":"en-in","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/28333\/"},{"hreflang":"en-ae","url":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/23584\/"},{"hreflang":"en-gb","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/28463\/"},{"hreflang":"es-mx","url":"https:\/\/latam.kaspersky.com\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/27841\/"},{"hreflang":"es","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.es\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/30597\/"},{"hreflang":"it","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.it\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/29348\/"},{"hreflang":"ru","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.ru\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/38640\/"},{"hreflang":"tr","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com.tr\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/12995\/"},{"hreflang":"fr","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.fr\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/22420\/"},{"hreflang":"pt-br","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com.br\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/23178\/"},{"hreflang":"de","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.de\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/31783\/"},{"hreflang":"ru-kz","url":"https:\/\/blog.kaspersky.kz\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/28584\/"},{"hreflang":"en-au","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com.au\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/34418\/"},{"hreflang":"en-za","url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.za\/blog\/how-to-safeguard-your-finances-on-black-friday\/34042\/"}],"acf":[],"banners":"","maintag":{"url":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/tag\/tips\/","name":"tips"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2706"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52674"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52674\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52683,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52674\/revisions\/52683"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}