The deal looks real. The website looks real. The voice sounds real. So how do you know who you’re actually buying from?
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are becoming a predictable hunting season for cyber criminals.
And AI is making the hunt harder to spot.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has warned that criminals are using AI to create more convincing scam emails, fake adverts and bogus websites. During the 2024–25 festive shopping period, UK shoppers lost £11.8 million to online shopping fraud.
For 2026, the biggest change isn’t necessarily a new type of scam.
It’s how believable the old ones can become.
The grammar test is dead
Bad spelling used to be a giveaway.
A strange-looking website was suspicious.
A poorly written email raised an eyebrow.
AI is changing that.
A scam advert can look professional. A fake retailer can have convincing product descriptions. A phishing message can sound perfectly natural.
And when Black Friday creates urgency, scarcity and FOMO, people are primed to click.
“Only 3 left.”
“Offer ends in 10 minutes.”
“Your delivery requires a £2.99 payment.”
Stop.
That’s exactly the moment scammers want you to stop thinking.
Your Black Friday security checklist
Before buying:
🔎 Check the retailer independently.
Don’t trust the advert that brought you there.
🔗 Don’t click unexpected delivery or payment links.
Go directly to the retailer or delivery company’s official website.
💳 Use secure payment methods.
The NCSC advises against paying by direct bank transfer and recommends checking your payment protection.
⏰ Treat urgency as a warning sign, not a reason to act faster.
And retailers have a problem too
AI scams don’t only target shoppers.
They can target your brand.
A criminal doesn’t need to hack your website to damage customer trust. They can imitate your branding, advertise fake offers or create convincing communications that appear to come from your business.
So before Black Friday:
Search for fake versions of your brand.
Monitor suspicious domains and adverts.
Warn customers about your genuine payment and delivery processes.
Make reporting impersonation easy.
Because this Black Friday, cybersecurity isn’t just about protecting the checkout.
It’s about protecting trust.
And trust is something a scammer only needs to fake once.
