“Never feel pressured into making a purchase, and if something doesn't feel right, take a step back and ask someone you trust – a family member, friend, or your bank – for advice.”īarclays data shows that social media is now the source of 88 per cent of all purchase scams, and scammers will reel in shoppers by advertising the most in-demand items on these platforms. They will also bank on people not doing the appropriate due diligence before making a purchase, and getting swept up in the rush and excitement of Black Friday. “Sales are typically all about speed, and scammers will play on people’s emotions to instil a sense of time pressure or create a perceived scarcity for an item. Additionally, almost half (46 per cent) will not read customer reviews.ĭr Peter Brooks, Chief Behavioural Scientist at Barclays, says: “People act differently under pressure, and scammers will take advantage of the way shoppers behave during Black Friday sales. Almost nine in ten (91 per cent) Brits don’t check whether the seller is registered on Companies House, and another nine in ten (87 per cent) don’t look to see if a business has a valid address. People are also not doing sufficient research before making purchases. Additionally, 30 per cent feel the pressure to buy more items than they normally would, to make the most of the deals available. With the bank’s latest research showing that over half (55 per cent) of Brits plan to make purchases during this year’s sales, Barclays is urging shoppers to take precautions, particularly as changes in behaviour – due to increased pressure – can leave them more vulnerable to scams.īarclays research reveals that during Black Friday, 41 per cent of Brits feel pressure to purchase items as quickly as possible to avoid losing out on the best deals, and 42 per cent would gladly buy from unfamiliar sellers if they had particularly good prices, rather than shop on safer and more reputable sites. Purchase scams, where people buy goods which never arrive or aren’t as advertised, resulted in shoppers losing £970 on average over last year’s Black Friday period. Barclays is issuing an urgent warning as new data from the bank reveals a 22 per cent increase in money lost to purchase scams during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales last year.

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