Fake Black Friday Websites: 5 Checks Before You Pay

Fake stores spike around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Here are five quick checks that catch most of them.

1. Type it yourself

Go to the store by typing its address, not through an ad or text link.

2. Read the address

Look for misspellings, extra words or odd endings like amaz0n-deals.shop.

3. Check the domain's age

A store that appeared last month with huge discounts is a red flag.

4. Look for real contact details

No phone number or street address? Walk away.

5. Pay by credit card

The FTC says a credit card lets you dispute charges for items never received. Be wary of a "card declined" message that asks you to try another card.

Sources

BBB (Shop like a pro; 12 scams of the holidays, October 2026); FTC holiday shopping alert (November 2025).

FAQ

How common are fake stores?

The BBB says online purchase scams were 28.4% of its Scam Tracker reports in 2025.

Where do I report one?

BBB Scam Tracker (bbb.org/scamtracker), ReportFraud.ftc.gov or ic3.gov.