The most talked about shopping frenzy, Black Friday, being here,, customers have been warned not to be too excited but to shop carefully and keep their eyes on scammers.
Crime experts say if people are not careful, scammers will be making millions off them.
Speaking to Daily Sun on Wednesday, 22 November, Crime Expert Mike Bolhuis said customers should be excited, but they shouldn't make irresponsible decisions.
"On Black Friday, there will be a lot of people scammed because if you are emotional, that is a problem. You will think the so-called bargain is a bargain, but it's not. Products will be very well advertised and hyped, pulling you in saying you better hurry," he said.
He said clever advertising would be the order of the day, and scammers would be ready to rob people.
"There will be scammers that will commit identity and information theft, and they will also advertise. They will ask for deposit amounts and say they will deliver. They will tell you it's a bargain. They will rob people millions, in my opinion, on Black Friday," Bolhuis said.
He said customers must do a thorough investigation before buying anything online.
"They must buy from well-known and trusted retailers, whether online or in-store, and be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true, especially from unfamiliar websites or sellers. When making online purchases, use credit cards, etc," he added.
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"Credit cards often offer more consumer protection, and you can dispute unauthorized charges. Make sure you update your devices. This helps protect you from vulnerabilities that scammers may exploit. Before making a purchase, read reviews and ratings from other customers." He said.
He also said even trusted online websites may be cloned, so consumers must also go the extra mile and call those service providers to verify.
On the other hand, Forensic Investigator Calvin Rafadi said online scammers on social media will be on top of their game.
"They will be selling TVs, laptops, and other electronic products and using social media such as Facebook," Rafadi said.
He said those who rush to the malls, usually women, may be met with criminals.
"These people want to shake hands or touch with their hands which have hyena tail lotion which can make you feel sleepy and dizzy, then they follow you and easily take your bag and wallet," he said.
He said some scammers targeted salesman working at drive-thru fast-food outlets.
"They take your card and say there is no network and scan your card to some device which will clone your card before swiping to the usual card machine. The card must never leave the eye of the customer," Rafadi said.
