Holiday shopping scams: what to watch for around Black Friday, and what to do if you get caught

Black Friday is November 27, 2026, and Cyber Monday is November 30. When we checked on November 2, the Federal Trade Commission's consumer alerts and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) listed no holiday shopping warning for 2026, and we found none from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. So this page uses their latest alerts, with dates, and their standing advice pages.

The closest recent item is an FTC alert of November 2, 2026, which says scammers impersonate well-known businesses in ads on social media, in search results and on shopping platforms. The FTC is considering updating its Impersonation Rule, or writing a new one, to hold platforms more accountable for these ads. It's an early step with no rule text proposed yet, and public comments are open until November 30, 2026.

The scams officials warn about

• Fake stores and ads. The FTC's holiday alert of November 25, 2025, says scammers sometimes pose as real companies and advertise brand-name goods unusually cheaply. The site may send a counterfeit, something unlike the picture, or nothing. Missouri's attorney general warned on November 24, 2025, about sites with odd spellings or hyphens.
• Orders that never arrive. The FTC's data spotlight of April 27, 2026, says shopping scams were the most reported scam on social media in 2025, and most people said what they paid for never came. An FTC alert of August 10, 2026, says people reported losing more than $95 million in 2025 to scams that began when they ordered after seeing a social media ad.
• Only a gift card, wire, payment app or crypto. The FTC's November 2025 alert says a seller who accepts nothing else is probably running a scam. Its gift card page, dated July 2023, adds that no real business will tell you to buy a gift card as payment.
• Fake delivery texts. Messages usually posing as USPS were the most reported text scam of 2024, the FTC said in April 2025, and many people reported paying a small "redelivery fee" that was a trick to get card or even Social Security numbers. The Postal Inspection Service's standing guidance, last updated May 19, 2025, says USPS won't text you unless you first requested it with a tracking number, and those texts won't contain a link.
• Packages you didn't order. The FTC said on August 20, 2026, that one could be a brushing scam, used to post fake reviews in your name, and that a QR code inside could lead to a phishing site. It says to change the passwords on your online shopping accounts and check your credit at AnnualCreditReport.com. You needn't return or pay for the item, but be cautious about using it.
• Fake charities. The FTC said on October 26, 2026, that scammers may use real charities' names, or similar ones, including in social media ads. Its August 27, 2026, alert on donating says not to give to anyone who says you can only pay by cash, gift card, wire or crypto.

Quick checks before you pay

1. Search the seller's name and the ad's web address, plus words like "review," "complaint" or "scam," as the FTC suggests.
2. Read an ad's address before you click. The FBI said on June 18, 2026, that a malicious one may resemble a real one.
3. Don't stop at the top search results. The FTC's October 26, 2026, alert on charity and sweepstakes imposters says they sometimes advertise on search engines and suggests scrolling past paid ads.
4. Track deliveries yourself. The Postal Inspection Service says not to tap links in a suspicious text and to visit USPS.com instead.

The safest ways to pay

The FTC's Online Shopping page, dated May 2023, says paying by credit card best protects you if there's a scam or something else goes wrong: you can dispute a charge if you're billed twice, never receive the item, or get the wrong item or a faulty one. To keep that right, the FTC says to call immediately and send a letter that reaches the card company within 60 days of the day it mailed the first bill showing the error. Missouri's attorney general also recommended credit over debit online in November 2025. For donations, the FTC said on December 1, 2025, that a credit card or check is safest.

If you were caught

Contact the company you paid through right away. The FTC says your money may already be gone, but it's always worth asking. Its page on what to do if you were scammed, dated June 2026:

• Credit card: report it to the issuer immediately, using the number on the back of the card or its app, and ask for a refund.
• Debit card, Zelle or bank transfer: report it to your bank or credit union immediately and ask for your money back.
• Payment app or wire company: report it immediately and ask for a reversal or refund.
• Gift card: call the number on the back of the card, say a scammer got the number and PIN, and ask for a refund. Keep the card and receipt.
• Cryptocurrency: tell the exchange or ATM operator the transaction was fraudulent and ask for a reversal. The FTC warns recovery can be hard.

Gave your Social Security number? The FTC points to IdentityTheft.gov if it was used, or IdentityTheft.gov/databreach if it wasn't or you aren't sure. Gave a password? It says to create a new one, change it anywhere you reused it and turn on two-factor authentication. Interacted with a fake USPS link, even without submitting anything? The Postal Inspection Service says to notify your financial institution.

Where to report it

• The FTC, at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
• The FBI's IC3, at ic3.gov, which says to file even if you're unsure your complaint qualifies. The FBI said in a November 25, 2025, notice on account takeovers to report fraudulent wire transfers immediately to your financial institution and IC3.
• Fake USPS texts: email spam@uspis.gov and forward the text to 7726, the Postal Inspection Service says.
• Your state attorney general, which the FTC also suggests.