Black Friday Scams to Watch for in Your Email Inbox
Spot fake order, delivery, refund, and gift-card emails before you click and keep your money safe.
The Black Friday emails to watch for are fake store messages, fake delivery notices, fake refund offers, and fake gift-card promises. Each one tries to steal personal or financial information through a link or form. These are all phishing, which means a message that poses as a trusted sender to trick you.
Risk rises when inboxes fill with order confirmations and shipping updates. A fake message can blend into that busy stream. Knowing the common patterns helps you pause before you click.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 02, 2026.
Fake store emails that mimic order updates
CISA warns that criminals send phishing emails designed to look like retailers, using malicious links or forms to steal personal, business, and financial information CISA holiday shopping guidance. Anyone shopping online can receive them. These messages may pose as order confirmations, payment problems, or locked accounts.
They press you to act fast to fix the order. Do not use the email link to resolve it.
- Sender address does not match the store name
- Urgent demand to click, verify, or update payment
- Link asks for login, card, or banking details
Delivery notices for packages you are not tracking
The FTC warned on Dec. 2, 2024 that scammers exploit expected holiday deliveries by sending fake shipment notifications by email and text FTC holiday delivery warning. Clicking can expose email, banking, or social-media logins or install malware.
The U.S. Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service said on Oct. 29, 2025 that recent holidays brought sophisticated delivery phishing.
Fake emails and texts used delivery-failure lures to harvest card numbers and passwords. The lure often asks for a small fee or updated address. Treat an unexpected tracking update as suspect when you did not order the item.
Open a new browser tab and check the order in your own account. Never reply with card or password details.
Refund and gift-card lures
The FTC warned on July 24, 2025 about texts impersonating Amazon that offer a full refund for a recalled or substandard item with no return needed. The message asks recipients to click a link, which leads to phishing to steal money and personal data. The same refund pattern can appear in email inboxes during Black Friday sales.
The FTC warns that emails or texts promising free gift cards for personal or financial information are phishing FTC gift-card warning. It also warns that any demand for payment by gift card marks the sender as a scammer. A store will not ask you to pay a balance with gift cards.
- Refund with no return and a link to claim it
- Free gift card in exchange for personal details
- Request to pay, confirm, or hold an order with gift cards
How to check a message without clicking
The FBI's Jacksonville office warned on Dec. 1, 2025 that threat actors now write convincing phishing emails without spelling or grammar errors FBI Jacksonville holiday warning. The warning affects Gmail, Outlook, and other inbox users.
Clean writing no longer proves a message is safe. Federal guidance points to direct checking instead of email links. Use the retailer's own site or account to review orders.
Do not click unsolicited email links.
- Go to the store site yourself and sign in to check orders
- Do not open attachments or forms from unexpected mail
- Forward a scam text to 7726, then report the fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IC3.gov