Black Friday Scams: How to Spot Fake Deals and Coupon Sites
Black Friday brings fake coupon sites and too-good-to-be-true offers. Learn the warning signs, how to verify a deal and what to do if you have already paid.
Black Friday is also the busiest season for scams: fake coupon sites, copied vendor pages and offers that are too good to be true. Most of them are easy to spot once you know what to look for. This post gives you a short routine to check any deal before you pay.
7 warning signs of a fake deal
- The price is far below every other offer. A real vendor discount is usually 20 to 80%, not 99%.
- Pressure and countdown timers. A timer that restarts when you refresh is a marketing trick, not a deadline.
- A strange web address. Look for extra words, odd endings or spelling changes in the domain.
- No end date or terms. Real offers say who they are for and when they end.
- Payment by unusual methods. Be careful if you are asked for gift cards, bank transfers or crypto.
- A request to install an extension or app. You should not need to install anything to use a coupon code.
- A code you must "unlock". Sites that ask for your email, phone number or card to reveal a code are collecting your data.
How to verify a deal
- Open the vendor's own website. Type the address yourself or use a link from a source you trust, and check that the offer is shown there.
- Compare with the regular price. Check the plan and the renewal price on the vendor's pricing page.
- Read the terms. Look for the end date, the plan covered and whether it is for new customers only.
- Check the checkout page. It should be on the vendor's domain, with the padlock and a normal payment form.
- Use a card with limits. A virtual or limited card reduces the damage if something goes wrong.
If you already paid
Contact your bank or card provider quickly and ask about a chargeback. Change the password of any account you used, and enable two-factor authentication. A password manager makes unique passwords easy, and you can compare options in our guide to the best VPN and security deals.
Frequently asked questions
### Are coupon codes safe? A code is only text. The risk is the site that offers it or the page where you enter it. Use the vendor's own checkout.
### Why did my code not work? Most failures are expired offers, plan limits or new-customer rules. See our post on fixes for coupon codes that do not work.
### How does HelloDeals show offers? Each deal page shows the terms and the end date and sends you to the vendor's own page. For more questions, read Help & FAQ or browse the offers.