Black Friday Scam Watch: Remote Hackers & Fake Deals

The annual Black Friday and festive shopping season brings with it the lure of exceptional deals and a surge in criminal activity. As consumer excitement rises, so too does the sophistication of scams designed to steal your personal information, financial data, and direct access to your bank accounts. Staying vigilant and informed is your best defence.

Your Safe Shopping Resource: Guzzle.co.za

Before you jump on any deal advertised in a suspicious email or pop-up ad, take a moment to confirm its legitimacy. Guzzle.co.za is a valuable South African resource that aggregates official catalogues and specials from verified local retailers.

• Verify Deals: Instead of clicking on an unsolicited link claiming to be a "Mega Store Special," use Guzzle to check the latest Black Friday and "Black November" catalogues from trusted retailers like Game, Pick n Pay, Checkers, and others.

• Know the Real Price: Guzzle helps you compare deals across reputable stores, ensuring the discount you see is genuine and not an inflated price designed to mislead.

• Shop with Confidence: By relying on Guzzle's verified information, you bypass the need to click on potentially malicious links, guiding you directly to retailers you already trust. This is a crucial step for our website users to stay informed and protected.

The New Frontier of Fraud: Remote Control App Scams

A particularly dangerous tactic involves tricking victims into downloading remote control applications onto their phones or computers, giving fraudsters direct access to their devices and banking apps.

• The Deception: Scammers impersonate trusted authorities (bank reps, tech support) and convince you to install a "security" or "support" app to fix an urgent problem.

• The Hack: Once installed, the malicious app grants the scammer full remote access. They can then monitor your screen, or worse, operate your banking apps while you are logged in, initiating and approving unauthorised transactions.

• The Protection: NEVER install remote access software on your device at the request of an unsolicited caller. Legitimate companies will not request this.

AI Deepfakes: The Ultimate Impersonation Scam

Fraudsters are now leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create deepfake videos and audio that are hyper-realistic and designed to exploit your trust in familiar figures.

• The Lure: AI is used to clone the voices and faces of trusted figures, such as bank executives, celebrities, or influencers, to promote fake Black Friday deals, fraudulent investment schemes, or urgent security warnings.

• The Threat: These convincing videos quickly circulate on social media, driving you to click links that lead to counterfeit websites designed to harvest your personal and financial information.

• The Protection: Always Check the Source. Is the video from the brand’s official, verified social media channel? Watch for tell-tale signs like unnatural blinking or lip-sync issues. Verify at the source by manually typing the official website address.

Common Black Friday Scams to Watch Out For

1. Phishing and Smishing: Emails or SMSs containing links or QR codes disguised as exclusive deals. Clicking or scanning these can compromise your device. Action: Pause and verify the sender. Manually type the retailer's URL.

2. Fake Websites and Card Not Present (CNP) Fraud: Scammers create replica online stores to steal your card number, expiry date, and CVV. Action: Verify the URL (look for https:// and the padlock). Use your bank's virtual card feature for all online transactions.

3. Goods Scams (Deals Too Good To Be True): Advertisements for deals that are dramatically cheaper than market price, pushing for instant bank transfers. Action: Research the Seller (check reviews, contact details). Avoid instant EFTs to unknown individuals/companies. Only pay via trusted payment gateways.

The Financial Sector's Warning

Financial institutions are at the forefront of this fight. Standard Bank, for example, has issued multiple warnings, noting that while fraudulent schemes occur all year, the Black Friday frenzy marks the beginning of a high-risk period.

 "During this peak shopping period, the threat multiplies as fraudsters prey on consumer excitement and rush... International Fraud Awareness Week arrives at a critical moment, arming the public with knowledge and encouraging a culture of vigilance," said Standard Bank’s Head of Fraud Risk Management, Adv. Athaly Khan.

Standard Bank's core advice is centered on basic vigilance: Always verify website URLs, enable in-app transaction alerts, and report any suspicious activity immediately. Their warnings highlight that scammers are increasingly using tactics like fake non-compliance notifications to induce individuals into sharing confidential information, often leading to victims being coerced into transferring money directly.

Final Vigilance Checklist

• Never Share Confidential Information: Your bank will never ask for your PIN, password, OTP, or CVV.

• Enable Alerts: Activate transaction alerts to spot and report suspicious activity immediately.

• Use Guzzle.co.za: Check Black Friday deals on this verified platform to avoid clicking on fake promotional links.

Written by: Shihaam (Gabriella) Steyn - Adams.

Guzzle Media