Technologies
2022 Black Friday: Make Sure You Avoid All the Elaborate Scams
Scammers don’t take a break during the holidays. Learn what to watch for to protect yourself.
This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas.
Black Friday arrives the day after Thanksgiving — which is Nov. 25 this year. It’ll be a day filled with deals on items like headphones and TVs, but with all that potential money flowing from customers to stores, cybercriminals are unfortunately looking to steal some of it.
Scammers work year round, but they turn up their efforts during the high-spending holiday season to exploit the spirit of giving.
The scams range far and wide — as retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart roll out deals over the holidays, fraudsters create elaborate websites to trick you into spending money on products you’ll never receive. You may receive text messages or emails claiming you’re eligible for a refund for an item you never purchased, just so thieves can get your credit card information. You might even be enticed into donating to a charity that provides homes for abandoned puppies — only to find out it doesn’t actually exist.
Scams come in all shapes and sizes, but there are always red flags to help spot them. Here’s what you need to know about Black Friday scams and how to avoid becoming a victim this holiday season.
For more about security and privacy this holiday season, check out how to protect yourself from identity theft, how to protect your phone app privacy, and the most common cryptocurrency scams.
Fake websites and fraudulent apps go ‘phishing’
In a phishing scheme, the goal is for hackers to get their hands on your personal information, like your credit card number, social security or account password. Pretending to be a large retail corporation, the fraudsters send out an official-looking email or text message, usually with a link to a fraudulent website designed to look just like a legitimate site.
Researchers at security firm Avanan discovered that hackers were sending out spoofed Amazon order notification emails. The email resembled your run-of-the-mill order confirmation, except that the order is false and the charge is significant.
Naturally, if you believe you’re being charged for a substantial amount, you would want to reach out to Amazon. But in this instance, if you use the link in the phishing email to get in contact, you’ll be redirected to a fake Amazon webpage with a false phone number to dial. If you call, the fraudsters won’t initially pick up, but they’ll soon call back, asking you to provide your card number, expiration date and CVV to «cancel the order.» And just like that, they’ve got your information.
These types of attacks are commonplace throughout the year, but expect a surge in messages claiming to be from Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target or other large retailers during the holidays.
If you receive an email asking you to update your payment method or requesting other personal information, contact the company’s help desk to make sure the email is legit before you do anything else.
Other ways to identify a phishing email, according to the Federal Trade Commission and StaySafeOnline.org, include:
- The sender’s email address looks almost right but contains extra characters or misspellings.
- There are misspellings or bad grammar either in the subject line or anywhere in the body.
- They address you with generic terms («Mr.» or «Ms.» or «Dear Customer») instead of by name.
- The message warns that you need to take immediate action and asks you to click a link and enter personal details, especially payment information.
- The messages promise a refund, coupons or other freebies.
- The company logo in the email looks low-quality or just plain wrong.
Credit card skimming goes all-digital
You’ve seen it in movies. A hacker places an object over a card reader, disguised to look like part of the ATM, and then waits for people to swipe their cards. A day or week later, the thief takes the object — known as a skimmer — back and collects the mountain of stolen card information stored inside, which they can then use to make purchases, withdraw money and more.
Instead of using physical hardware to steal payment card numbers, hackers can insert malicious code directly on a website to do the same thing as traditional skimming, but with online payment information instead.
Regarding e-skimming incidents — sometimes called Magecart attacks after the name of the software used — Tim Mackey, principal security strategist for Synopsis, a digital security company, warns, «There isn’t an obvious way for the average person to be able to identify if or when a website has been compromised. The only potential tell-tale sign might be that the website itself doesn’t quite look ‘right.'»
Mackey suggests a few strategies you can can use to protect yourself:
- Don’t save your credit card information on retail sites.
- If possible use a third-party payment method like Apple Pay, Google Wallet or PayPal.
- Enable purchase alerts on all your credit cards.
- Disable international purchases on all credit cards.
- Only make purchases over your home network or cellular network, never on a public Wi-Fi where your payment could be intercepted.
Avoid the ‘Secret Sister’ gift exchange — it’s a pyramid scheme
Originating on Facebook, this sketchy gift exchange among internet strangers plays off the popular workplace practice of «Secret Santa,» a game where each person in a group buys a present for one other randomly selected group member, without the gift-giver revealing their identity.
Instead, in Secret Sister, it’s a pyramid scheme dressed up in holiday clothes, according to the Better Business Bureau. The «Secret Sister» exchange invitation promises you’ll receive about $360 worth of gifts after purchasing and mailing a $10 gift for someone else. A variation includes swapping bottles of wine. And there’s even «Secret Santa Dog,» in which you gift money to a «secret dog.»
Unfortunately, bad math hasn’t stopped this scam from resurfacing year after year. If you fall for it, you’ll probably be out 10 bucks when you don’t receive any gifts in return. You might lose personal details too, because the scam involves sending your name, email address and phone number to people you’ve never met in person.
The Better Business Bureau recommends you deal with any request to become a Secret Sister by ignoring it — do not give your personal details to online strangers. You can also report the invitation to Facebook or whichever social network you were approached on.
Your donations might be going to a ‘faux charity’
During the holiday season, it’s not uncommon to give back to the community. In fact, nonprofit organizations typically see an increase during the fall. The last three months of the year make up 36% of all charitable giving during the year, according to Blackbaud Institute, which creates fundraising applications.
Unfortunately, scammers take advantage of this generosity to make a bundle for themselves.
The way these charity fraud scams typically work are by impersonating other successful charities. And it’s no wonder they work: The scammers come up with real-sounding charity names, create credible websites, run successful social media campaigns — and they’re persistent.
Scammers typically call you using local phone numbers, which give you a false sense of security. However, it’s incredibly easy to spoof an area code. Next they’ll make their pitch, and it’ll be a good one. It will tug at your heart-strings, but they’ll never actually specify how they’ll help. And they may even claim that you’ve made a donation before, and suggest that you make another, and that if you do, it’ll be tax-deductible. And it’ll all be a lie.
If you get a call from a charity and sense some red flags, the AARP and FTC suggest that you do the following:
- Do your research. Use a watchdog like CharityWatch to get more information about a charity and learn how credible it is. Or use Google.
- Pay close attention to the charity name and website. False charities like to mimic other popular charities. If it seems too close in name to another, it might not be real.
- Keep track of your donations. Even if you accidentally donate to a scammer, you need to ensure that the donation isn’t recurring.
- Don’t give away all your personal information. Of course it’s normal to provide your card information, but don’t do the same with your Social Security number or bank account number.
- Don’t make a cash donation. Unless you’re certain about a charity’s credibility, don’t give away cash, gift cards, or cryptocurrency.
For any charitable donations that you make, you can also use the IRS tax-exempt organization search tool to make sure that the charity you’re contributing to is legitimate and that your gift can be deducted on your income tax return.
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Technologies
Tubi App Goes Live in ChatGPT to Give You TV and Movie Recommendations
Like the ultra-customized feel of a Tubi rec? The streamer aims to make it even more personalized.
Tubi, the free streaming platform known for its vast library of cult classics and indie movies, has added an app to ChatGPT. You can now use the chatbot to find content recommendations for TV shows and movies on Tubi, the streamer announced on Tuesday.
You may already have your own search strategy when using Tubi, but the addition of the native app within ChatGPT allows you to strike up a conversation and ask for uber-specific, personalized title suggestions. If you see a film or show that captures your interest, you have the option to click «Watch on Tubi» to stream it on a mobile device or the web. In the mood for scary movies about yetis? Use @Tubi for your prompt in the chatbot and request something like, «horror movies with aggressive yetis» and expect to see a selection of titles that fit your wish list.
«Streaming should feel effortless, and as chatbots and AI agents are becoming a common way people navigate the internet, Tubi is expanding its discovery experience to meet viewers in the moment they’re expressing intent in their own words,» Mike Bidgoli, Tubi’s chief of product and technology, said in a statement.
ChatGPT opened its app store this past December. It currently includes apps for Apple Music, Zillow, Spotify and Canva, offering the ability to connect your accounts to search, design or ask for recommendations. Back in 2023, Tubi created its own AI-powered tool called Rabbit AI for mobile users to help audiences find content to watch. The company later shuttered the feature, which used Open AI’s Chat GPT-4. With today’s launch, it’s the first video streaming service to add an app within ChatGPT.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
Technologies
PlayStation Plus Subscribers Can Play Tomb Raider and More All April Long
Subscribers can also explore a Soulslike game that just got a big update.
PlayStation Plus, which is Sony’s version of Xbox Game Pass, offers a large, constantly expanding library of games. Subscribers can choose from the Essential, Extra and Premium tiers, each with unique perks and benefits. Starting at $10 a month, the plans give subscribers access to games and rewards, and each month, all subscribers can play a handful of new games at no additional charge. And some people on Reddit are pretty excited for a few of the games Sony is offering subscribers throughout April.
One user wrote how they are «buzzing» for the remastered Tom Raider games, while another user is willing to replay the Soulslike game Lords of the Fallen. «April fools’ joke? Because they’re actually good,» a third user wrote.
If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you can play these games now until May 4.
Lords of the Fallen
If you played Elden Ring and thought, «I wish this game had even more grimdark elements to it, like Bloodborne,» Lords of the Fallen might be for you. Choose one of nine classes to play as while you traverse the lands of the living and the dead in order to overthrow the demon god Adyr. You’ll fight all manner of monstrosities along the way, like a colossal humanoid with an arm protruding from its mouth or a giant carrion crow that wears a human skull.
HexWorks, the gaming studio behind Lords of the Fallen, also released a patch for the game on April 3. The patch is intended to make co-op sessions feel more rewarding for hosts and guests, so you and your friends should have even more fun in this game.
Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered
Experience these classic Tomb Raider games from the 90s all over again — or for the first time — with the remastered trilogy. You’ll explore jungles, solve puzzles in the desert and tackle mercenaries and monsters along the way. While you can enjoy the boosted graphics of the remastered edition, you can also enable low-poly mode to experience these games as you would have almost 30 years ago.
Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream
A system called Galaxia has been added to Alfheim Online, allowing players to relive the past. But the system has spun out of control, displacing players throughout time. To set things right, you’ll have to work with friends and foes alike in this co-op raid battle game. But if you want to go solo, you can play story mode as characters from across space and time confront the anomaly in the VR world.
For more on PlayStation Plus, here’s what to know about the service. You can also check out other games on PlayStation Plus and games on Xbox Game Pass.
Technologies
Get Organized for Just $28 With This 6-in-1 Baseus Charging Station Deal
Ditch the cluttered cables and upgrade to this sleek USB power strip while it’s on sale for a record-low price.
For just $28, this six-in-one Baseus charging station can help you keep your desk organized. That’s 20% off and the all-time lowest price we’ve seen for this 120-watt USB power strip. We don’t expect this limited-time deal to last for long, however, so you’ll want to get your order in sooner rather than later.
You can use this charging station for just about all of your devices, including phones, tablets, headphones and laptops. It’s equipped with four USB-C ports and two USB-A ports, so you can charge up to six devices at once. It also boasts a 65-watt single-port output, enough to fully recharge a MacBook Air in less than 2 hours. And at just 323 grams, it’s light enough to take on the go, making it a great buy for frequent travelers.
Why this deal matters
This sleek Baseus charging station can connect to up to six devices at once, and is still small enough that you can take it on the go. Plus, this is the all-time lowest price we’ve seen, making it a pretty great value.
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