Spain issues urgent black friday scam alert – Shoppers told to “stay awake” as fraud surges

If you’re already filling your online baskets for Black Friday, Catalonia has a message for you: slow down, double-check, and stay alert. With the Christmas shopping rush about to collide with the year’s biggest online sales, the Catalan Government has launched a full-scale campaign to help residents recognise – and avoid – the rising tide of cyber scams.

It comes at a moment when fraud attempts are not only becoming more frequent but also far harder to spot, thanks in part to the speed and sophistication that artificial intelligence has added to the world of online crime.

Why Catalonia says this year is different

The warning comes from the Agència de Ciberseguretat de Catalunya, which has just rolled out a campaign designed to teach shoppers how to recognise suspicious websites, fake discounts and misleading ads. The timing is no coincidence: Black Friday has become one of the most profitable weeks of the year for criminals.

And the numbers are genuinely worrying. According to cybersecurity firm Trend Micro, seven out of ten promotional emails received around Black Friday are fraudulent. Not spam – fraud. Many of them are polished, professional and designed to look like real brands.

The government’s messaging is simple: “Identify suspicious offers this Black Friday” and “It’s gift-giving season – verify your purchase.”

The campaign even uses familiar CAPTCHA imagery as a reminder to “prove” that what you’re clicking on is real.

Laura Caballero, who heads the cybersecurity agency, says this period is when scammers are most active – and when shoppers are most easily distracted by flashy prices. “People need to stay alert,” she said, pointing out that the biggest traps tend to be in exactly the categories most people are browsing: fashion, tech and beauty products.

It also doesn’t help that many ‘discounts’ aren’t even what they claim to be. A study from Spain’s consumer organisation OCU found that only 30 per cent of Black Friday deals last year were genuine reductions compared with prices in September and October. With so much confusion around what is real and what isn’t, scam ads blend in almost effortlessly.

How scammers target shoppers during Black Friday

The techniques are no longer amateur. Criminal groups now work with slick ads, targeted social media campaigns and websites that look identical to legitimate shops.

Here’s how a typical scam works: You’re scrolling through Instagram or Google and see a huge discount on a brand you recognise. You click. The website looks perfectly normal – same logos, same layout, same colours. You add items to your basket, pay, and receive a confirmation email.

And then… nothing. No package, no refund, and your card details have just been harvested.

NordVPN, another major cybersecurity firm, reports a 250 per cent spike in fake online shops in the days leading up to Black Friday. Many of them disappear within hours, only to reappear under a new name. It’s a digital version of whack-a-mole, and shoppers rarely realise they’ve been hit until their bank alerts them.

How to protect yourself while shopping online

The Catalan Government insists the best defence is still the simplest: check the basics before paying.

Officials are urging shoppers to:

• Type the retailer’s address manually, instead of clicking on ads from Google or social media.
• Double-check the URL – a single misplaced letter can lead to a fake clone of a real shop.
• Be sceptical of massive discounts, especially if combined with countdown timers or pressure to buy immediately.
• Avoid giving personal details to websites that don’t clearly display secure payment seals or contact information.