Before you buy anything online this season, run twelve checks: confirm the seller, use a protected payment method, turn on multi-factor authentication, ignore pressure links, and keep your order records. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded 56,478 non-payment and non-delivery complaints in 2025, with reported losses of about 503 million dollars.
Black Friday falls on 27 November 2026 and Cyber Monday on 30 November, so scam activity will rise in the same weeks as discounts. This checklist pairs with our deeper guides on online shopping safety before Black Friday and how to spot fake Black Friday deals.
What Is the 12-Point Checklist?
| # | Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Type the shop’s address yourself or use its official app | Search ads and social posts can lead to copies |
| 2 | Look for a real company name, address and contact details | Fake shops hide them |
| 3 | Search the shop name with “reviews” and “scam” | Quick reputation check |
| 4 | Compare the price with two other sellers | A price far below the market is a warning |
| 5 | Use a card, wallet or payment method with dispute rights | Bank transfers are hard to reverse |
| 6 | Never pay by gift card, crypto or a personal UPI ID | Scammers prefer untraceable payments |
| 7 | Turn on multi-factor authentication on shopping and email accounts | Stops a stolen password from being enough |
| 8 | Use a unique password for each shop | Limits damage from one breach |
| 9 | Ignore links in unexpected delivery or refund messages | Common phishing route |
| 10 | Avoid shopping on public Wi-Fi without protection | Traffic can be watched |
| 11 | Save order confirmations and screenshots | Needed for disputes |
| 12 | Check bank and card alerts weekly until January | Catches small test charges early |
Why Do Scams Rise During Sales?
Because shoppers are in a hurry and expecting messages. Scammers copy the language of real sales: limited stock, countdown timers and “last chance” banners. The FBI IC3’s 2025 report counted more than 1 million complaints overall and 20.88 billion dollars in reported losses, so this is a large and busy area of crime.
In India, our guide to festive season scams covers the local versions: fake UPI refund links, copycat delivery messages and “too good” offers on social media.
How Can You Tell a Fake Shopping Site?
Look for combinations, not single signs. A padlock icon alone does not prove safety, because scam sites can use secure connections too. Warning signs include a website address that is one letter off a known brand, a recently created site, copied product photos, no returns policy, and payment only by transfer.
Use a short test: can you find a business address, a working phone number and a clear returns page? Can you find independent reviews that are not on the shop’s own site? If two answers are no, leave.
Which Payment Methods Are Safer?
Cards and well-known payment apps usually offer a dispute route if goods never arrive. Direct transfers to a personal account, gift cards and crypto usually do not. Where possible, use a virtual or single-use card number, and set a spending limit on the card you use online.
| Method | Dispute route | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| Credit or debit card with alerts on | Bank chargeback process | Lower |
| Well-known wallet or payment app | App dispute process | Lower to medium |
| Cash on delivery from a known seller | Refuse at the door | Lower for payment, check the parcel |
| Bank or UPI transfer to an unknown person | Very limited | High |
| Gift cards or crypto | Almost none | Very high |
How Do You Protect Your Accounts During the Rush?
Secure the accounts shops can reach before you start. Use a password manager to create a different password for each retailer; our best password managers guide compares the main choices. Add multi-factor authentication, following the MFA set-up guide. If the shop offers a passkey, consider it, and read passkeys versus passwords for the trade-offs.
Also keep your phone updated. Verizon’s 2026 report found mobile-focused phishing worked about 40 percent more often than email phishing, so treat texts with the same suspicion as email.
What Should You Do if Something Goes Wrong?
Act in this order, and act quickly:
1. Contact your bank or card issuer and block the card.
2. Change the passwords for the shop, your email and your payment app.
3. Report the fraud: in India, call the national helpline 1930 and file at cybercrime.gov.in; in the US, report at ic3.gov.
4. Keep screenshots, order numbers and messages.
5. Watch your statements for several weeks.
If personal data was exposed, follow our data breach response guide.
