The highly anticipated Black Friday 2025 is set to kick off on Friday, November 28, heralding a week of extensive shopping opportunities. While this annual event offers exciting deals for savvy shoppers, it also poses increased risks for consumers who must remain vigilant to avoid potential pitfalls. Cybercriminals are known to exploit the Black Friday frenzy by orchestrating convincing text-message scams to deceive unsuspecting individuals.
One of the primary concerns during this period is delivery scams. With the surge in online orders, many may lose track of their purchases, providing scammers with an opportunity to send fraudulent “missed delivery” or shopping-related messages.
To safeguard customers, O2 has issued a significant warning advising everyone to remain vigilant.
Highlighting the issue, O2 stated, “As consumers are projected to spend billions during the Black Friday weekend, a quarter of Brits (25%) confess to often forgetting their purchases until they are delivered. This forgetfulness makes them more susceptible to falling for delivery scam texts, a vulnerability scammers are poised to exploit.”
Taking proactive measures, Virgin Media O2 now employs AI and firewall technologies to block scam calls and texts, successfully intercepting millions of scam messages this year, including numerous fake delivery notifications.
For those concerned about such scams, O2 has shared five essential tips to enhance protection:
1. Keep a record of your orders.
With 60% of Brits engaging in more Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, it’s crucial to track your purchases to identify fake confirmations effectively.
2. Verify suspicious links before clicking.
Scam texts often contain links to bogus websites. Be cautious of links with strange appearances, excessive length, or shortened formats (e.g., bit.ly), especially if they claim to be from prominent couriers like DPD, Evri, Royal Mail, or Yodel.
3. Exercise caution with urgent payment requests.
Scammers often pressure victims to make immediate payments. If a message insists on instant payment to secure a delivery, it is likely a scam as legitimate courier services do not demand instant payments via text messages.
4. Scrutinize the sender information.
Trusted courier messages typically display recognized courier names (e.g., “DPD,” “Royal Mail”). Exercise caution if a message originates from an unfamiliar or non-UK number.
5. Be wary of vague messages.
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