Be careful of the trick

The mantra of the good buyer. Black Friday trick

The Black Friday weekend is just around the corner, bringing with it a whole slew of offers, discounts and tempting promotions that seem impossible to miss. But behind this frenzy lies a growing danger: computer scams. Cyber attackers know how to exploit our cognitive biases to deceive us and compromise our online security.

Here’s how to recognize the psychological mechanisms that make us vulnerable in the face of the irresistible offers of Black Friday.

Impossible prices? Surely you are dreaming

Bias involved: Anchor effect
An 8K TV for 99€ or a smartphone of the latest generation for less than 200€. These incredibly low prices capture our attention, making us forget about any logic. This is the Anchor Effect, which makes us focus on price and ignore possible signs of fraud, such as fake websites, counterfeit products or even non-existent.
Cyber risk: By entering your payment details on these sites, you could be a victim of phishing or bank theft.
How to defend yourself:
- Compare prices on several reliable sites.
- Verify that the site is legitimate: check for HTTPS protocols and platform reliability.

Beware of payments without guarantees: an invitation to wedding for the attackers

Bias involved: Invulnerability Illusion
“It won’t happen to me.” This is the belief that leads us to underestimate the risks of online payments. The Invulnerability Illusion makes us less cautious, leading us to make payments on platforms that are not secure or with untraceable methods.
Cyber risk: If you pay with direct transfers or unknown apps, your financial data can be stolen, and you may never see the product you bought.
How to defend yourself:
- Use secure payment methods such as PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay or prepaid cards.
- Avoid payments via transfers to foreign accounts or unknown platforms.

Too perfect reviews are a digital trap

Bias involved: Confirmation bias
“Perfect! Arrived in 2 hours! Never seen anything like it!” How many times have you read similar reviews? Confirmation bias encourages us to trust only opinions that confirm what we want to believe, ignoring possible warning signs. These reviews, often written by bots or cybercriminals, are used to build a false image of reliability.
Cyber risk: Trusting fake reviews may lead to purchases from an unsafe site, exposing your data to theft or fraud.
How to defend yourself:
- Look for genuine and detailed reviews, don’t stop at the positive ones.
- Use online tools to check the seller’s reputation.

Don’t buy in a hurry or with emotion: cybercriminals count on us

Bias involved: Urgency Bias
The classic “LAST PIECES!” or countdown is designed to unleash in you the Bias of Urgency. This makes you buy quickly, without checking the reliability of the site or seller.
Cyber risk: Buying in a hurry exposes you to phishing sites or fake web pages that mimic the big ecommerce.
How to defend yourself:
- Always take a break before buying
- Check the legitimacy of the site, even if the countdown seems urgent.

The fear of losing the discount is a trap… and a safety risk

Bias involved: FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) effect
“Unique offer! Only for today!” The FOMO, the fear of losing an opportunity, drives us to make impulsive purchases, even if this means lowering our guard on the security of the site or the payment conditions.
Cyber risk: This rush leads you to ignore warning signs, exposing you to fraud or theft of personal data.
How to defend yourself:
- Remember that the offers are repeated from year to year, there is always the Cyber Monday or the Christmas offers
- Don’t put your data at risk for a temporary discount.
- What if you fall into the cyber trap?

You bought on a suspicious site or have been scammed? Don’t despair. Your priority is to act fast:

Notify your bank and block the payment card immediately.
Change your passwords, especially if you have used the same password on multiple sites.
Report the event to the relevant authorities and customer service of the payment method used.

Conclusion

The best deal is not only the one that saves you money, but the one that preserves your online safety. Plan your purchases, always check the reliability of sites and remember: attackers rely on your weaknesses to scam you. The most valuable thing you have during Black Friday is not your full shopping cart, but your digital security.