Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be helpful times to save on holiday gifts, household items, electronics and travel. They are also busy days for scammers who use fake online stores, urgent emails, delivery texts and “limited-time” offers to push shoppers into acting quickly.

If you plan to shop online this holiday season, a few extra checks can help protect your money and personal information. Before you enter your card number, confirm the website is legitimate, review the payment method and watch for signs of online shopping fraud.

How Can You Avoid Online Shopping Fraud?

You can avoid online shopping fraud by checking the website before you buy, avoiding suspicious links, using secure payment methods and monitoring your accounts after each purchase. Be especially careful with deals that seem unusually cheap, messages that ask you to act right away and package delivery updates sent by text or email.

Before you shop, use these quick online shopping safety tips:

  • Type the retailer’s web address directly into your browser instead of clicking a sale ad, text message or email link.
  • Check the web address for misspellings, extra words or unusual endings.
  • Avoid sellers that only accept gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or person-to-person payment apps.
  • Use secure payment options and avoid saving your card on unfamiliar websites.
  • Turn on card controls and account alerts before Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
  • Review your account activity during and after holiday shopping.
  • Contact us right away if you notice suspicious activity on your account.

Review Digital Banking Tools

Read More: Watch Out For These Six Holiday Scams

Check the Website Before You Buy

Fake online stores can look very convincing, especially during the holidays. Scammers may copy product photos, logos and sale language from real retailers to make a fake site feel familiar.

Before entering your card information, take a few minutes to review the website carefully. Watch for:

  • A web address that is slightly misspelled, such as an extra letter, missing letter or added word
  • A website ending that feels unusual for the retailer
  • Product prices that are far lower than major retailers
  • No physical address, customer service phone number or clear contact information
  • A return policy that is missing, vague or filled with errors
  • Product reviews that all sound similar or were posted around the same date
  • Checkout pages that ask for more personal information than needed

One practical step: Search the store name with words like “scam,” “reviews,” “complaints” or “BBB.” If several shoppers mention missing orders, fake tracking numbers or no customer service response, it may be safer to buy elsewhere.

Be Careful with Deals That Feel Too Good

Many Black Friday scams and Cyber Monday scams rely on urgency. Scammers know shoppers are comparing prices and want to act before an item sells out. That pressure can make a fake deal harder to spot.

Be cautious if a deal:

  • Offers a high-demand item at a price that is dramatically lower than other stores
  • Appears only in a social media ad from a business you do not recognize
  • Says inventory is almost gone but keeps refreshing the same offer
  • Requires payment through gift cards, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or a payment app
  • Claims you must “verify” an account before receiving the deal
  • Sends you to a checkout page that does not match the retailer’s main website

If you are unsure, leave the ad and go directly to the retailer’s official website. If the sale is real, you should be able to find it there.

Related: Protect Yourself From These Five Scams In 2026

Watch For Fake Delivery Texts and Emails

Package delivery scams are especially common during the holidays because many people are waiting for online orders. A fake message may claim your package is delayed, missing an address, held at a facility or waiting for a small “redelivery fee.”

These messages often include a link to a fake website that asks for your card number, address, login information or other personal details.

To protect yourself from phishing emails and package delivery scams:

  • Do not click tracking links in unexpected texts or emails.
  • Go directly to the retailer, USPS, UPS, FedEx or delivery carrier website.
  • Use the tracking number from your original order confirmation.
  • Be suspicious of messages asking for a small payment to release a package.
  • Watch for greetings like “Dear customer” instead of your name.
  • Delete messages that use pressure, threats or strange wording.

If a delivery message looks questionable, compare it with your order confirmation first. If the tracking number does not match, treat the message as suspicious.

Use Secure Payment Methods

The way you pay can make a difference if a purchase turns out to be fraudulent. When possible, use a payment method that allows you to dispute unauthorized charges or report fraud quickly.

To help protect debit card online purchases:

  • Shop only on secure websites with “https” in the web address.
  • Avoid entering card information on public Wi-Fi.
  • Do not save your card number on unfamiliar websites.
  • Use digital wallet options when available.
  • Review card controls in digital banking before holiday shopping.
  • Consider using one card for online purchases so transactions are easier to track.

Avoid sellers that ask you to pay with gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency. These payment methods are common in holiday shopping scams because they are difficult to reverse.

Keep Reading: Is Online Banking Safe? Debunking Common Myths For Seniors

Monitor Your Accounts During Holiday Shopping

Black Friday and Cyber Monday can make your account activity busier than usual. With more purchases, returns, shipping fees and subscription offers, it can be easier to overlook a suspicious transaction.

During the holiday shopping season, check your accounts for:

  • Purchases you do not recognize
  • Duplicate charges from the same retailer
  • Small test charges, often under a few dollars
  • Refunds that never appear
  • Charges from unfamiliar company names
  • Subscriptions or memberships you did not mean to start

Some legitimate purchases may show under a parent company, payment processor or shortened business name. Compare each charge with your receipts and shipping confirmations. If a charge still does not look right, contact us as soon as possible.

Contact Us About Suspicious Activity

Set Up Alerts Before Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Account alerts can help you catch suspicious activity faster. Before holiday shopping begins, review the alert options in digital banking.

Helpful alerts may include:

  • Debit card purchase alerts
  • Online transaction alerts
  • Large transaction alerts
  • Low balance alerts
  • Password change alerts
  • Login alerts

These alerts can help you spot fraud sooner, but they can also help with holiday budgeting. If you are buying gifts from several retailers, alerts make it easier to track each purchase as it happens.

Set Up Account Alerts

What to Do If You Think You Were Scammed

If you believe you bought from a fake website, clicked a phishing email, responded to a fake delivery text or shared payment information with a scammer, act quickly.

Take these steps:

  1. Contact us right away if your Sun Canyon Bank account, debit card or digital banking information may be involved.
  2. Review your recent transactions and write down anything that looks suspicious.
  3. Lock or replace your card if your card details may have been exposed.
  4. Change your passwords for shopping, email and banking-related accounts.
  5. Save proof of the scam, including emails, texts, receipts, screenshots, tracking numbers and website addresses.
  6. Report the scam to the retailer, delivery carrier or appropriate fraud reporting agency.

Report Suspicious Account Activity

Shop Smarter This Holiday Season

Black Friday and Cyber Monday should make holiday shopping easier, not riskier. By checking websites carefully, avoiding suspicious links, using safer payment methods, setting up alerts and reviewing your account activity, you can reduce your risk of online shopping fraud.

Before you shop, take a few minutes to review your digital banking tools and know how to reach us if something looks suspicious. We are here to help you protect your money and shop with more confidence this holiday season.

Review Your Digital Banking Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Most Common Black Friday Scams?

Common Black Friday scams include fake online stores, social media shopping ads, phishing emails, package delivery scams and deals that require payment by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or payment app. Be especially careful with offers that use urgency, unusually low prices or links from unfamiliar senders.

How Can I Tell If An Online Store Is Fake?

A fake online store may have a misspelled web address, missing contact information, unclear return policies, unusually low prices or product reviews that look copied. Before buying from a new store, search the business name with words like “scam,” “reviews” or “complaints.”

Is It Safe To Click Package Delivery Texts?

It is safest not to click package delivery links in unexpected texts or emails. Instead, go directly to the retailer or delivery carrier website and use the tracking number from your original order confirmation.

What Should I Do If I Bought From A Fake Website?

If you bought from a fake website, contact us right away if your Sun Canyon Bank account or debit card may be affected. Review your transactions, save receipts and screenshots, change related passwords and report the scam. Acting quickly can help protect your account.