The rise of cyberattacks on Black Friday and Cyber Monday: What you should know before buying online

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are synonymous with discounts, mass purchases and irresistible offers, but also with an avalanche of cyberattacks. Every year, cybercriminals take advantage of the increase in online traffic and the urgency to obtain offers to launch campaigns of Phishing, store impersonation and payment fraud. From fake emails that imitate big brands to cloned websites that steal bank details, the risk grows as digital consumption grows.

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Why are cyberattacks increasing at this time

During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the volume of online transactions soars, creating opportunities for hackers. The combination of urgency to buy, distracted users and saturated systems makes these dates the perfect time to attack. Cybercriminals take advantage of both high consumer activity and reduced surveillance on some services to launch their campaigns.

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Techniques and scams most used by cybercriminals

During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, attackers mix technical methods with social deception to maximize impact. The most common tactics include:

• Phishing and fake emails that imitate well-known brands to induce the user to enter credentials or bank details.
• Cloned web pages/ghost stores that reproduce complete catalogs, logos and reviews, collect payments and then disappear.
• Skimming and manipulation of payment gateways to capture bank details during the purchase process.
• Malware and attacks aimed at e‑commerce platforms, including DDoS to interrupt services and hide fraud.
• Fraudulent messaging (Emails/SMS) which reports alleged deliveries, confirmations or urgent complaints with malicious links.
• Social networks and fake ads with sweepstakes, fake influencers or promotions that redirect to fraudulent sites.
• Offers that are too good to be true and urgent promotions designed to make the user act without verifying.
• Requests for payment using unprotected methods (direct transfers, cryptocurrencies, gift cards) that avoid return mechanisms or bank protection.

These techniques are combined and automated: the buyer's rush and the high volume of transactions allow attackers to launch massive campaigns that capture data on a large scale.

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AI-powered scams: the new threat on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Artificial intelligence is raising the level of sophistication of online fraud. Attackers create ghost stores complete with AI, including fake logos, descriptions and reviews, that mislead even experienced shoppers. In addition, deep-fake videos and AI-generated ads show celebrities promoting exclusive discounts that redirect to fraudulent pages with malware or requests for bank details.

The combination of high buying activity, urgency and realistic appearance makes these attacks extremely effective. Always verifying links, domains and the authenticity of promotions is essential to avoid falling into the trap.

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Factors that increase risk

There are several factors that make Black Friday and Cyber Monday so attractive to attackers:

• Consumer distraction and urgency.
• Increase in traffic and volume of online transactions.
• Less oversight of security teams in some services.
• Increased attack automation and credential reuse.

Each of these elements contributes to a more vulnerable environment, where a single carelessness can lead to serious consequences.

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Tips from Apolo Cybersecurity to protect yourself during Black Friday and Cyber Monday

During these dates, cyberattacks are multiplying, but with some measures you can protect your information and your online purchases:

• Always check the sender and the URL before clicking on suspicious emails or links.
• Activate multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all your important accounts to add an extra layer of security.
• Don't share sensitive information on unknown sites or through links received by email or social media.
• Keep your systems and browsers updated to close potential vulnerabilities.
• Have an incident response plan: Knowing how to act in the face of suspicious activity can make a difference.

From Apolo Cybersecurity, we recommend applying these practices to navigate safely during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, preventing offers from becoming a digital risk.

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Strengthen your security before Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases

Don't let cyberattacks ruin your purchases or put your personal data at risk, apply good practices and stay protected against phishing, cloned websites and AI-powered scams. At Apolo Cybersecurity, we can help you strengthen your digital security and ensure that your online purchases are safe this holiday season.

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