Artificial intelligence is making scams increasingly convincing, but cybercriminals continue to target one thing above all: trust. During Black Friday, exploiting a sense of urgency and the tendency to make impulsive decisions becomes particularly effective. From time-limited discounts to ‘only a few items left’ notifications, consumers are encouraged to make quick decisions, creating favourable conditions for fraud.

The scale of commercial activity during this period helps illustrate the opportunity. In Portugal, the value of online purchases on Black Friday 2025 was 126% higher than the average daily figure for November, according to SIBS Analytics. Although this indicator does not allow us to conclude that fraud increased, it highlights the volume of transactions and digital interactions that cybercriminals seek to exploit. It is in this context that fake promotions and fraudulent messages find fertile ground.

One of the most common ways of exploiting this trust is through the unauthorised use of well-known brands' identities. In Portugal, cases have been reported of fake videos circulating on social media advertising non-existent promotions in the name of retail chains. In one case reported in 2025, an AI-generated video promoted an alleged sale of products at cost price.

These examples show how artificial intelligence has expanded the possibilities for fraud, making it easier to create convincing images and messages and enabling fraudulent content to be produced at scale. However, the problem is not limited to promotional campaigns: the same trust-exploitation tactics are used in everyday situations, where consumers have fewer reasons to be suspicious.

Fake delivery notifications are a case in point. These messages impersonate delivery companies, claiming that a parcel is being held or that a small fee must be paid. They then redirect recipients to websites that imitate official platforms in order to harvest personal and banking details. During Black Friday, when many consumers are expecting several deliveries, these communications can appear entirely legitimate, making fraudulent attempts harder to recognise.

Although these attacks often have the immediate objective of stealing consumers' data, their consequences also extend to businesses. An organisation does not need to suffer an intrusion into its own systems to be affected: its identity may still be used to lend credibility to a scam. Fake websites, adverts and profiles not only expose consumers to risk but can also undermine the trust built by a brand and damage its reputation.

For this reason, businesses' response should not be limited to protecting their IT systems. It is equally important to monitor suspicious domains and adverts, report fraudulent content and establish procedures to alert customers promptly. Digital identity protection should therefore form part of organisations' cybersecurity strategies, combining technical prevention with reputation management and risk communication.

Businesses' responsibility must go hand in hand with greater awareness among consumers. At a time when the speed of purchasing decisions is also being exploited as an attack tool, the best defence is to resist externally imposed urgency: stop, check and only then proceed. Because during Black Friday, protecting trust is just as important as protecting data.

Black Friday: Five Essential Steps to Shop Safely

1. Check promotions through official channels

Make sure the offer is advertised on the brand's official website or social media profiles.

2. Check the website address

Verify the domain (for example, look out for misspelt words or different domain extensions) before entering personal or banking details. The padlock icon does not guarantee that a retailer is legitimate.

3. Contact the delivery company directly

If you receive an SMS about a parcel, use the company's official app or website rather than clicking on the link in the message.

4. Use a virtual card with a set spending limit

Where available, this helps limit exposure of your main card details and restricts the amount that can be spent.

5. Check payment details

Verify the amount and transaction details before authorising a payment, and be wary of unexpected payment requests.

Please note: If you fall victim to fraud, contact your bank, block your card and report the incident.

Black Friday discounts may only last a few days, but the consequences of a scam can last much longer. Urgency is the attackers' tool; verification is the response of both shoppers and businesses. Whenever a message demands that you act quickly, taking a few seconds to check is almost always the best deal of the season.

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