U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Joint Economic Committee ranking member, recently released an alert warning consumers about Black Friday and Cyber Monday scams.
“If your inbox is anything like mine, each holiday season brings an ever-growing flood of emails promising huge discounts and exclusive deals,” Hassan said. “While some of those deals may be legitimate, many are sent by scammers trying to steal the money that you’ve saved up to buy gifts for loved ones. I encourage people to follow the guidance in this report, share it with your friends and family, and ensure that your holiday spending doesn’t end up swept away in the flood of Black Friday fraud.”
Online shoppers spent $10.8 billion on Black Friday and $13.3 billion on Cyber Monday in 2024.
During the holiday shopping season, phishing emails mimicking major U.S. retail brands spiked by more than 2,000 percent, and Black Friday and Cyber Monday phishing scams increased by nearly 700 percent. Three out of four Black Friday spam emails were scams with the remainder classified as overly aggressive promotions.
Criminals lure victims to scam websites impersonating top brands through phishing campaigns, targeted social media ads and sponsored search results. Victims pay for nonexistent or counterfeit merchandise.