Black Friday is an exciting time for retailers—it’s when you welcome a surge of shoppers, showcase your best offers and build lasting relationships. However, this busy shopping season also attracts cybercriminals who exploit the frenzy to target both businesses and customers. From fake promotions to impersonated customer service, cybercriminals are more advanced than ever, using tactics that are difficult for even the savviest shoppers to spot.
Here, we’ll look at the cyber risks that come with the holiday rush and how retailers can take smart, proactive steps to protect customers, their brand and their bottom line.
Understanding the Threats: Common Scams for Retailers to Watch for This Season
Brand impersonation and phishing scams: cybercriminals know that customers trust established brands. They create convincing fake websites, emails and social media profiles that mimic retailers’ official channels, tricking shoppers into giving up sensitive information. These scams can harm customers and impact a brand’s reputation.
Fake customer support accounts: with Black Friday crowds come more customer service queries—and cybercriminals take advantage. Fake customer service profiles pop up, ready to “assist” shoppers by redirecting them to bogus links or by collecting personal information under the guise of troubleshooting.
Quishing (QR Code Phishing): QR codes are everywhere and shoppers expect them to lead directly to exclusive deals. Cybercriminals use this trend, creating malicious QR codes that, when scanned, lead to sites designed to capture sensitive customer data.
Platform attacks and high-traffic exploits: Black Friday means a huge influx of online traffic which puts retailers’ e-commerce platforms to the test. Hackers may try to overwhelm systems with attacks or exploit vulnerabilities to access customer data.
Steps Retailers Can Take to Protect Their Brand and Customers
Retailers can help make Black Friday safer for everyone by adopting proactive measures to keep both their business and their customers secure. Here are some effective strategies:
Verify and monitor your brand online: keep a close eye on your digital presence, from social media to search engines, to detect brand impersonation early. Security tools can monitor the web for any fake sites or profiles using your brand name, so you can act quickly to remove them and protect customers.
Share cyber safety tips with shoppers: help customers shop securely by sharing practical safety advice on your website, social media and emails. Remind them to use your official links, watch for unusual messages and avoid QR codes that aren’t from trusted sources. When customers feel informed, they’re more likely to stay safe and trust your brand.
Make customer service easily accessible: prominently display verified contact information and customer service links on your site to help shoppers reach the right support quickly. If possible, verify your social media accounts so customers know they’re dealing with the real you. This not only prevents scams but also gives shoppers peace of mind.
Strengthen account security with multi-factor authentication (MFA): MFA offers an extra layer of protection, ensuring that even if scammers access passwords, they can’t easily enter accounts. Encouraging customers to set up MFA helps protect both them and your business from fraud.
Use AI-based fraud detection tools: many fraud detection tools are AI-powered, analysing transactions in real-time to flag suspicious activities, like unusually large purchases or multiple orders from the same IP address. These tools can prevent fraudulent purchases and give your team the insight to act fast if a scam is in progress.
Prepare your site for high traffic: a robust, secure e-commerce platform can handle heavy Black Friday traffic without slowing down or becoming vulnerable to attack. Ensuring your infrastructure is resilient can help avoid disruptions that might open the door to cyber criminals.
How to Build a Trust-Based Shopping Experience
By actively supporting a safe shopping experience, retailers can foster a relationship of trust and loyalty with customers. At Cyber Collab, we work with retailers to enhance cyber security measures that not only protect shoppers but also fortify brand trust. From conducting state-of-play analysis, monitoring services and penetration tests of existing systems, to incident responses, we help retailers stay ahead of cyber threats.
This Black Friday, let’s work together to make sure that online shopping is safe, seamless and scam-free for everyone. When retailers take proactive security steps, they help build a safer digital landscape for shoppers—while strengthening their own brand for long-term success.