Black Friday Sale Scam 2025: Over 2,000 Fake Online Stores Impersonating Top Brands Found Targeting Shoppers With Unrealistic Deals, CloudSEK Warns
If you’ve been eyeing a discounted iPhone 17, a pair of Ray-Bans or a half-price smartwatch during this year’s Black Friday sale, cybersecurity experts say it’s time to slow down before clicking “Buy Now.” While genuine offers are everywhere, a massive Black Friday Sale Scam operation is unfolding online.
New Delhi, November 27: If you’ve been eyeing a discounted iPhone 17, a pair of Ray-Bans or a half-price smartwatch during this year’s Black Friday sale, cybersecurity experts say it’s time to slow down before clicking “Buy Now.” While genuine offers are everywhere, a massive Black Friday Sale Scamoperation is unfolding online. CloudSEK, a cybersecurity firm, has uncovered more than 2,000 fake holiday-themed online stores impersonating brands like Amazon, Samsung, Apple and Jo Malone—all designed to steal personal data and payment information.
According to CloudSEK, cybercriminals are exploiting the shopping frenzy by deploying one of the most sophisticated phishing ecosystems in recent years. These fake websites are carefully crafted to mirror legitimate online stores, complete with festive banners, trust badges, countdown timers and fake pop-ups showing “recent purchases” to create urgency and lure shoppers.
Black Friday Sale Scam: How It Works
The Black Friday sale scam ecosystem identified by CloudSEK operates using a highly coordinated network of phishing sites. These websites mimic the look and feel of genuine e-commerce portals. Once users proceed to checkout, attackers silently harvest personal details and redirect transactions through fraudulent payment gateways. This results in financial theft and possible long-term identity misuse. What Is Fake CAPTCHA Scam? Learn How Cybercriminals Target Users With New Method To Steal Valuable Information; Know How To Avoid Such Scams.
Researchers call this shift “industrial-scale fraud,” warning that the sophistication of these operations can lead to significant consumer losses. The fraudsters rely heavily on short-lived social media ads, manipulated search engine rankings, and links shared widely across WhatsApp and Telegram groups. New Scam Alert! Fake 'RTO Challan APK' File Used To Hack WhatsApp, Steal Sensitive Information; Here's Where You Should Check Vehicle Challan Online.
CloudSEK estimates that each fake store attracts hundreds of visitors and successfully traps 3% to 8% of them. At this rate, scammers can earn between USD 2,000 and USD 12,000 per site before authorities take down the domains.
Two Major Scam Clusters Uncovered
CloudSEK discovered two massive interconnected clusters driving these Black Friday sale scams.
Cluster One: Amazon Lookalike Ecosystem
This cluster includes over 750 linked domains, with more than 170 Amazon-themed copies. These sites use identical layouts, misleading discount banners, and recycled templates. Some load resources previously tied to malware operations, suggesting that the same threat actors are running multiple fraud campaigns simultaneously.
Cluster Two: The .shop Domain Network
The second cluster is even more extensive, featuring over 1,000 domains registered under the .shop extension. These websites impersonate dozens of major brands including Apple, Dell, Ray-Ban, Nivea Men, Rare Beauty, Fujifilm, Samsung, Garmin, HP and more.
CloudSEK believes this cluster was built using a mass-produced phishing kit, allowing scammers to launch new fake stores at scale within hours.
“These are not isolated hackers,” the report notes, “but part of a broader fraud ecosystem using shared templates, scripts, and automated deployment tools.”
The Real Cost: Beyond Stolen Money
Victims of these Black Friday sale scams suffer more than immediate financial loss. Criminals can misuse harvested data for identity theft, apply for loans, or sell the information on dark web markets. Meanwhile, legitimate brands face reputational damage, customer mistrust and revenue loss as shoppers unknowingly divert purchases to fraudulent sites.
For retailers, the surge in impersonation attempts also drives up support costs as customers report fake orders, undelivered products and refund disputes.
How to Stay Safe During Black Friday and Cyber Monday
CloudSEK and cybersecurity experts urge shoppers to stay alert. Warning signs of a scam site include:
- Unrealistic discounts of 70%–90%
- Countdown timers or “last few left” pop-ups
- Misspelt or unusual URLs
- Fake trust seals or unverified certificates
- Checkout pages redirecting to unfamiliar payment sites
- Identical layouts across multiple “brands”
- No valid customer support or contact details
The safest approach is to shop directly through official brand websites, verified mobile apps or trusted marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart.
What Retailers and Regulators Should Do
CloudSEK recommends that companies adopt proactive monitoring for new domain registrations, deploy impersonation-detection tools and coordinate rapid takedowns of fraudulent sites. Governments, cybersecurity agencies and advertising platforms must collaborate to restrict scam ads and dismantle organised phishing networks.
The report concludes with a warning:
“Cybercriminals are evolving as fast as online shoppers. Awareness is the first line of defence.”
So before you chase that unbelievable deal this Black Friday, remember, in Black Friday Sale season 2025, not every checkout is real.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 27, 2025 07:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).