Shoppers, be wary of Black Friday scams

Nov. 27, 2009: Shoppers line up to pay for their purchases at a Kohl's store in Omaha, Neb., on Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. (AP)

prev next

Beat the rush by shopping in advance. A lot of Black Friday sales are beginning early this year. (Reuters)

Nov. 23: A woman looks at a DKNY holiday window display in New York. The nation's retailers are looking forward to swarms of shoppers on Black Friday (AP).

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and you know what that means ... Black Friday and Christmas shopping!

Each year more holiday shopping takes place online, a trend scammers have noticed. As you begin to think about your holiday shopping list, those criminals have already started their scam campaigns, aimed at parting you from your hard-earned stocking-stuffer savings.

Some of the scams security firm Symantec has reported seeing tempt victims with flashy e-cards, cars at rock-bottom prices and bidding opportunities. But instead of deals, the links lead to sites with bogus offers like 25 percent to 50 percent off Rolex watch replicas "made using identical parts and materials."

Some malicious sites to look out for include GetSigned, BidQuick, BidOnline and BlackFridayWatch.

It's a good idea to be wary of all unsolicited email, but if you do choose to open that Black Friday offer, hover your mouse over the links before clicking on them to see where they really lead.

More On This...

uReport: Black Friday Frenzy -- send us your photos!

Deals are tempting, especially around the holiday season; but deals that sound too good to be true almost always are. Remember, scammers prey on hot topics such as the recent release of the iPhone 5 and Windows 8.

Stay smart and safe as you wade through Turkey Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Follow Ben on Twitter @benkwx.