Smart shopping for Black Friday and beyond

27 Nov 2025
Online shopping
27 Nov 2025

Black Friday and the festive season bring exciting opportunities to snag great deals, but they also attract cybercriminals looking to exploit unsuspecting shoppers. Scams have become more sophisticated, with fraudsters using convincing websites, fake promotions, and even AI-generated content to deceive victims. With a little caution and the right security habits, you can enjoy the festive shopping period safely.

Check the legitimacy of online deals  

  • Always confirm that a deal comes from a legitimate source, and stick to reputable or well-established online retailers, especially when a promotion is circulating on social media or messaging apps.
  • Be cautious of offers that appear unusually generous. Cybercriminals create advertisements with attractive pricing and exaggerated claims to lure victims. Take a moment to question the legitimacy of something that appears out of the ordinary.
  • Navigate directly to the retailer’s official website rather than using links from emails, messages, or adverts.  
  • When buying pre-owned items, examine and test the product before paying. Never transfer money or pay cash before you have inspected the product.  

Strengthen your digital safety tools

  • Keep your devices updated. To close vulnerabilities, install the latest operating systems, security patches, and app updates as they become available.
  • Protect your devices with reputable anti-virus software. At UCT, you have access to Trellix (formerly known as McAfee), which you can install on your UCT-owned and personal computers. However, you are responsible for ensuring you install trusted anti-virus protection on your mobile devices. Enhance your account security by enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) where available. This extra layer of protection helps to safeguard your accounts.
  • Download apps and software only from official stores such as the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Avoid unofficial sites or unknown developers, as they often distribute malicious software.

Safeguard your personal and financial information

  • Never share your usernames, passwords, MFA codes, or banking information, even if a request appears urgent or legitimate.
  • Check for a padlock symbol in the address bar and make sure the URL starts with https (instead of just http) before completing any online payment. These indicators don’t guarantee safety, but if either is missing, do not proceed, as the site’s security cannot be trusted.
  • Avoid shopping over public WiFi networks, as this can expose your data to interception.
  • Review your bank statements regularly and act quickly if you notice any unexpected or suspicious activity.

Adopting these practices help to give you a safer online shopping experience.  

Remember to promptly report suspicious emails received on your UCT email address to the IT Helpdesk at icts-helpdesk@uct.ac.za so that we can put the necessary security measures in place.