Black Friday is underway, and as always, it’s an exciting time for shoppers worldwide. Folks who’ve been saving up for months are finally grabbing their favorite items at some of the lowest prices of the year.
However, it’s important to balance your excitement with caution, as Black Friday is also when bad actors are hyperactive, knowing it’s the perfect time to steal people’s personal and sensitive information through fake shops and websites.
So, in this article, we’ll teach you how to spot fake shops easily, protect your personal information, and share a few tools you can use to boost your online privacy this sales season.
1. Learn how to spot fake shops
This Black Friday sales season, you can spot fake websites by:
- Checking the website’s URL: fake shops often use URLs that are very, very close to legitimate sites, but with minute differences that can be spotted on a closer look. For example, using the digit “0” instead of the letter “O.” We also recommend checking if the URL starts with “https://” since that increases the chances of the site being legitimate.
- Look for the discount on social media: almost every brand has a social media presence (on Instagram, Facebook, etc.), so if they’re offering a huge discount, they’ll put it up on their socials to spread the word across their customer base. However, if you see an offer on a website, but it’s not available on the brand’s social media channels, the website is probably a scam.
- Check the domain extension: if a site is legitimate, it will, in all likelihood, have a domain extension you recognize, like .com or country-specific codes such as .au, .ca, or .in. By contrast, if a website uses an unusual domain extension, it could be a scam.
- Search for reviews of the website: if you’re unsure, go to Google and type the site’s name plus “reviews” or “scam,” and it’ll tell you if people have reported any instances of the site being scammy – or if there’s a known duplicate doing the rounds, duping people.
If you’re still unsure, we’d advise simply trying to buy things from the brand directly (through their physical outlets, if available) or through a reputable retailer such as Amazon, as that will put you in a great position to avoid dodgy websites.
2. Use fake details
One of the smartest ways to protect your online data from falling into the hands of bad actors is by using fake personal information to ensure your real information stays under wraps. This goes for legitimate websites, too, as it means your real data stays safe in the event of a data leak or breach.
This is where a tool like Surfshark’s Alternative ID comes in handy. This tool, created by one of the best VPN services, creates an entirely new online identity for you, complete with a legitimate-looking full name, gender, home address, age, and even an email address that forwards mail to your own inbox. So, even if the website you’re dealing with turns out to be fake, your real details will be safe.
Note that Alternative ID is available with all Surfshark plans, but the Surfshark One package is especially worth getting right now since it’s available at a massive 88% discount (just $2.19 per month for a 2-year plan) thanks to its Black Friday VPN deal.
3. Set up data breach alerts
Even if you’re extremely careful, there are chances your personal information will still end up being leaked or stolen, for example if a legitimate website you've signed up for suffers a data breach. In such cases, it’s important to arrive at the scene as early as possible and take precautionary measures to protect yourself and your data.
Luckily, there are simple and affordable tools available that can monitor your personal information online and notify you if it has been leaked or is being misused by perpetrators.
Surfshark Alert, for instance, is a data breach detection tool that comes as part of Surfshark’s wider security suite. It perpetually scans massive databases of leaked information to check if your details, such as email addresses, credit card information, or any other personally identifiable information, are among them.
If it does find anything, it’ll send you an instant alert so you can act fast, change passwords, contact your bank, or cancel your cards before any harm is done.
ExpressVPN, one of the most secure VPNs on the market, also has an excellent ID Alerts feature (part of its Identity Defender suite of security tools).
This includes dark web monitoring, social media monitoring, and change-of-address monitoring to warn you if there’s any development online that increases your risk of identity theft.
By using tools like these, you'll be alerted of any breaches of your data, so you can take steps to secure it.
4. Set up a credit scanner
The worst kinds of scams are the ones designed to steal your banking information, as these can impact your credit and finances. Tools like ExpressVPN’s Credit Scanner (which also comes included with its Identity Defender package) help minimize the risk posed by these scams by alerting you to any suspicious activity.
Credit Scanner helps you manage your credit by, first and foremost, monitoring your credit in real time for any suspicious activity, allowing you to take swift action against potential identity theft.
It also offers a monthly overview of your credit score, credit-freezing options – so you can prevent any new credit accounts from being opened in your name if our data is leaked – as well as recommendations for improving your credit score.
5. Use two-factor authentication
If you have an online account that offers two-factor authentication, there’s every reason to enable it, since it adds an extra layer of security to your account, ensuring that it is indeed you who’s trying to access it every single time.
2FA works by asking you to enter a one-time code – usually after you enter your password – and you’ll often receive this code on your smartphone. There are also dedicated 2FA verification apps and USB keys that provide authorization.
Enabling 2FA also alerts you if anyone else tries to access your account – unsuccessfully, of course, since they won’t have access to your 2FA codes. This allows you to take further action, such as changing your password, to protect your account.
Yes, setting up 2FA takes a bit of time and adds an extra step when logging in, but this is a small inconvenience compared to the reality of having your accounts hacked or data stolen.
For more discounts, check out our Black Friday deals live blog.
Shop today's best Black Friday deals
- Amazon: 50% off Ring, Ninja, AirPods and more
- Walmart Plus: 50% off @ Walmart
- REI: half-off Arc'teryx, Patagonia, more
- Dell: monitors from $69, laptops from $299
- Nectar: 50% off mattresses + bundles
- Best Buy: laptops from $149
- Lenovo: doorbuster deals from $319
- Wayfair: up to 80% off home decor
- Lululemon: top picks from $9
- Newegg: Doorbuster deals from $6
- Walmart: holiday gifts from $15
- Birkenstock: deals from $20 @ Nordstrom
- Saatva: luxury mattresses from $1,099
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