'If it seems too good to be true, it probably is' - Shoppers warned of scams ahead of Black Friday

Shoppers hoping to bag a bargain in the Black Friday sales tomorrow have been warned of several different scams doing the rounds.

As Phishing and text message scams have been on the rise in recent months , consumers, especially those shopping online, have been advised to be wary of any links the might press that could lead to their financial and personal information being stolen.

Irish households will spend more than €5bn over the Christmas period and a time of such high activity is "fertile ground" for scammers seeking to gain access to sensitive financial data.

Digital Business Ireland (DBI) urges all shoppers to protect themselves by using security software, never clicking links unless they know the sender and having a heightened awareness of the possibility of fraud.  

DBI have provided consumers with a 5 point checklist to keep themselves safe while shopping online.

• Secure URLs will have ‘https’ at the start, along with a green bar/padlock. 
• In the UK, 1 in 10 ticket buyers have purchased fakes, so only buy from trusted sites. 
• Social media is increasingly used by fraudsters. Watch out for fake friend requests and YouTube links containing malware. 
• Check your bank statements regularly and set up mobile alerts for transactions. 
• Import taxes now apply to goods from the UK, so check where you’re buying from. Even better: shop on .ie domains and support local businesses. 

A recent poll conducted by Digital Business Ireland found that nearly a fifth of Irish people (17%) have fallen victim to a scam through their mobile phone. 20% of women reported a violation of their information through a mobile phone scam, while only 12% of men did similarly. 

Ashley McDonnell, Chairperson of Digital Business Ireland, said:

“We’ve seen an increase in cyber-security breaches become more and more elaborate and sophisticated in recent years and these threats continue to grow and evolve all the time.

“We urge people to be very careful when shopping online this Black Friday, Cyber Monday and into the Christmas rush. 

“Remember: if something seems too good to be true – it probably is! 

“There are a few simple precautions that people can take which would make a huge difference in protecting them, their information and sensitive financial data.

“Scams and fraud are difficult to investigate and prosecute so self-protection must be at the core of shoppers’ activity when online shopping.”