If you're trying to take advantage of Black Friday sales to buy cheap goods, be careful. A cybersecurity company has detected nearly 2,000 fake websites that are trying to steal data.

Many fake websites are running scams in the name of Black Friday sales.

These days, the Black Friday sale is making waves online. Every e-commerce platform is offering huge discounts, and people are shopping in droves. If you're clicking on Black Friday sale banners online, be cautious. A cybersecurity company called CloudSEK has found that more than 2,000 fake websites imitating companies like Amazon, Samsung, and Apple exist online. They lure customers with sales offers and steal their data and payment information.

The largest phishing network in recent years

According to a CloudSEK report, cybercriminals are running the largest phishing ecosystem in recent years. These fake websites are designed to look completely genuine. They feature festive sale banners, countdown clocks, fake trust badges, and pop-ups with recent purchases, all designed to trick customers into reaching the payment page without much thought. Once customers select items and reach the checkout page, their information is stolen, and they are redirected to a payment portal controlled by the hackers. Many customers make payments here in a hurry, and the money ends up with the hackers. Cybercriminals have created these fake websites in the name of major companies like Apple, Cisco, Logitech, Toshiba, Xiaomi, and Ray-Ban.

How to avoid such scams?

• To avoid such scams, do not click on tempting advertisements seen on social media.
• Before you start shopping, carefully review the website URL. If there are any spelling mistakes, don't shop there.
• Be alert if a site's checkout page redirects to a suspicious website.