The period around Black Friday sees a surge not only in consumer spending, but also in cyber risk activity.
While shoppers hunt for deals, cybercriminals are on high alert and ready to exploit with distractions, urgency, and confusion. For businesses, especially small and medium ones who may not have the means or resources to have protection in place, this can mean increased exposure to scams, fraud, impersonation and operational disruptions.
In this article, we’ll explain:
- Why Black Friday is riskier than usual
- Recent trends and examples in the UK
- What kinds of cyber threats to watch out for
- What to do if suspicious activity occurs
- Practical steps businesses can take to reduce risk
Let’s dive in!
Why Black Friday Brings Extra Cyber Risk
- Volume and urgency make mistakes more likely
During Black Friday, users expect lots of emails, offers, payment links, websites, and delivery emails and updates. That traffic and volume create cover for scammers. They send fake emails or ads among the “noise,” hoping recipients will just click quickly without necessarily checking. As security firm Darktrace observed in 2024 – phishing attacks themed around Black Friday rose sharply compared to early-November levels.
Black Friday triggers more than 600% rise in attempted retail cyber scams (Darktrace)
- Consumers are more trusting
People are more primed to believe “too-good-to-be-true” offers during sale season. This lowers their guard. Scammers impersonate familiar brands (retailers, delivery services, banks) to trick victims with fake order confirmations or “account alerts.”
- Social media and ad scams spike
Fake adverts, sponsored posts, and social media posts mimicking real brands become more frequent. They lure people to malicious sites or requests for payment via unconventional methods.
- Increased stress on eCommerce infrastructure
Retail platforms, payment gateways and customer support systems are under heavier load. Any weakness or downtime can be exploited by attackers to slip in with fraudulent traffic or act quickly before detection.
- AI & automation tools help attackers
There’s growing evidence that cybercriminals leverage automation, domain-spoofing tools, and AI to generate convincing phishing emails or copy brand websites. This raises the bar for detecting fakes.
Given all this, it’s smart for any business, even if not directly retail, to be extra vigilant during the Black Friday season.
Real UK Examples & Trends of Cyber Security Risk
- The UK’s finance industry has already issued warnings ahead of Black Friday about increased scam risk. NCSC
- In 2024, Darktrace (mentioned above) reported Black Friday–themed phishing attacks surged nearly 700 % compared to earlier in November. Darktrace
- Media reports have described Black Friday turning into “Black Fraud Day,” with losses to online shopping scams climbing into millions in 2024. The Guardian
These examples show that cyber threats are not distant or just a small business problem. Large, well-resourced organisations face them too.
What Kinds of Cyber Security Threats to Watch For around Black Friday
Here are common threats that intensify around Black Friday:
- Threat Type
Phishing / Spoofed emails
What Happens?
Emails pretending to be from a retailer or delivery company with “click here to confirm order” links.
Why it’s a danger
Users provide login, payment or credential data.
- Threat type
Fake Websites/lookalikes
What happens
Scammers build mirror sites e.g. shop-brand-sale.co.uk that look real.
Why it’s a danger
Users enter payment details which will go to attackers for them to take advantage.
- Threat type
Malicious adverts or social media posts
What happens
Ads promise steep discounts that can then lead users to malware or phishing sites.
Why it’s a danger
It can spread widely via paid ads or users sharing the post unaware of the consequences.
- Threat type
‘Update account’ or verification requests
What happens
Claims your account is compromised or needing updated and asks for your credentials to verify
Why it’s a danger
Tricks you into revealing your login details, allowing scammers to access your account.
- Threat type
Payment diversion/Invoice fraud
What happens
Attackers impersonate suppliers or staff and request changes to bank details for invoice payments.
Why it’s a danger
Payments are sent to fraudulent accounts, resulting in real financial loss.
- Threat type
Domain spoofing and impersonation
What happens
Attackers use email addresses or domains that closely resemble legitimate ones, often adding small changes like extra letters or punctuation.
Why it’s a danger
These look-alike addresses trick recipients into sending payments to fraudulent accounts.
What to Do If You Notice Suspicious Activity
Even with safeguards, things can slip through. We’re all human, and sometimes mistakes happen. Don’t panic or try to hide away from you mistake – Here’s what to do:
- Stop, assess & report
Immediately pause any suspicious transaction or communication. Don’t click the link further and don’t share additional data. Make sure to report any activity to your IT professionals! - Disconnect / isolate
If a computer or system shows signs of compromise, disconnect it from the network to stop the spread. - Change credentials
Reset passwords on affected systems, especially email, admin accounts, and any linked accounts. Use unique, strong passwords. - Enable / verify multifactor authentication
If not already on, turn on multi-factor authentication for all systems. - Run security scans / incident checks
Use antivirus, endpoint detection, and intrusion detection tools to detect malware or backdoors. - Review logs & alerts
If you have logging, review recent access logs for atypical or unusual logins or patterns. - Notify parties affected
If customer data or vendor invoices were impacted, inform relevant parties, regulators, or authorities (e.g. ICO in UK) as needed. - Document the incident
Note timelines, what happened, what steps were taken, this helps with remediation and future prevention. - Seek expert help
If the breach is beyond your capacity, engage cybersecurity professionals to investigate and help recover. (Like us, at sfG!)
How Businesses Can Prepare Before Black Friday
Implementing these strategies ahead of the sale season can greatly reduce your risk exposure:
- Train your team in spotting phishing, verifying communications, and best practices.
- Whitelist domains and lock down email forwarding rules.
- Use email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to prevent spoofing of your domain.
- Test your payment / checkout flows to ensure legitimate traffic is not blocked by security filters.
- Monitor brand mentions / domain registrations to spot impersonation.
- Rate-limit or CAPTCHA forms to deter bots from abusing your site.
- Use secure backups & versioning so you can roll back if a site is compromised.
- Deploy web application firewalls (WAFs) and anti-bot measures.
- Review financial controls so invoice changes need verification.
Final Thoughts
Black Friday offers huge opportunity for businesses and service providers – but it also raises risk. The key is not to panic, but to be prepared. You don’t need to be a cybersecurity expert, but building awareness, processes, and a security mindset go a long way in keeping your business safe.
If you’d like help reviewing your systems, training your team, or setting up stronger protections ahead of the busy sale season, sfG Software is here to support you.
