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Black Friday: Online fraud on the rise – One in four Austrians falls for fake deals—tips on how to spot fraudulent offers.
The countdown to the shopping event of the year is on. But while many are looking forward to mega discounts on Black Friday, there is a great danger lurking on the internet: fraudulent online shops, fake bargains, and nasty traps.
A recent study by the Austrian E-Commerce Quality Seal shows that one in four Austrians has fallen for online fraud on Black Friday!
Despite the hunt for bargains, a third of Austrians want to boycott Black Friday (November 28) this year—the mistrust is too great. And there are reasons for this: around 25 percent of those surveyed say they have already come across fake offers.
“Whether it’s counterfeit products, inferior goods, or even fake online shops that don’t deliver anything at all, around Black Friday, we see a rapid increase in fraudulent offers on the internet. As a general rule, the cheaper an online offer appears, the more cautious you should be,” warns Thorsten Behrens, managing director of the Austrian E-Commerce Quality Seal.
The scammers’ tricks are perfidious: super discounts, deceptively genuine websites, and fake reviews—and in the end, the money is gone. Technology and fashion are particularly popular with cyber crooks. According to the study, around 90 percent of Austrians wait for promotions such as Black Friday to buy electronics—and criminals shamelessly exploit this.
Clothing, shoes, and accessories (44 percent) as well as household items (35 percent) also frequently end up in shopping carts. And 30 percent use the discounts to buy their first Christmas gifts.
Although 53 percent of those surveyed say they have already had good experiences with promotional days, the price of saving is often stress. More than a third (35 percent) feel pressured by the limited-time offers—only 14 percent claim to be utterly immune to the discount frenzy.
Behrens advises caution: “Those who fear missing out on a supposed bargain often make less considered decisions. This increases the risk of making bad purchases. That’s why it makes sense to think in advance about what purchases you want to make and to keep an eye on prices. If you decide on trustworthy online shops early on, you can remain calm even on sale days.”
- source: heute.at/picture: pixabay.com
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