Black Friday scams 2026: fake sites, Pix fraud and fake ads top risks
Digital scams are getting harder to detect as criminals turn to artificial intelligence. Many victims only realize they were defrauded when the product never arrives. Black Friday is set for November 27, 2026, and shoppers are already seeing discounts ahead of the date.
A survey by Serasa Experian, published on October 28, 2026, ranks fake websites as the most cited form of scam, mentioned by 53% of respondents. Pix payment fraud comes next at 42%, and phishing also appears frequently. Another 86% of those interviewed said they had already dropped a promotion out of fear of fraud. In the 2025 edition, Serasa counted 29,689 fraud attempts in e-commerce between November 27 and 30 of that year, with potential losses estimated at R$ 30.7 million.
Why AI makes fake stores look real to shoppers
AI tools cut the effort needed to produce ads, images and pages that copy real stores. Arthur Igreja, a technology specialist, said the technology makes fraud more sophisticated and convincing, including through manipulated images, audio and video of public figures.
Social engineering schemes account for 40% of suspected financial fraud in Brazil. In the first half of 2026, the country recorded more than 9 million suspected or confirmed occurrences, a rise of 10.26% over the previous half-year.
Criminals use AI to write error-free text, personalize messages with the victim’s name and copy the visual identity of well-known shops. As a result, the old advice to look for Portuguese mistakes has lost value as a warning sign.
Deep discounts to be wary of and how to vet a store
Offers of 80% or 90% off should raise suspicion. Paniago said Black Friday in Brazil differs from the one in the United States, where a discount that large is rare. He advised consumers to research prices beforehand and accept smaller discounts.
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Check the store’s history and the number of payment options before buying. Reclame Aqui offers a Site Detector that shows how long a site has been active, where it is hosted and which complaints it has received.
Use official channels and distrust links received by email, SMS or messages. Pay with a virtual card and check the web address letter by letter. Reclame Aqui lists payment without delivery (67%) and fake sites (30%) among the most common scams.
Checks to run before putting anything in the cart
Track prices a few weeks before the date and use comparison tools to confirm that a discount is real. Before adding items to the cart, look up the store’s reputation on Reclame Aqui and read customer reviews.
Be wary of stores that accept only Pix or bank slips. Prefer a virtual credit card, which can be blocked after payment, and review the cart and shipping costs before finishing the purchase.
Keep reading: Black Friday 2026 Brazil: 48% of shoppers have lists and 59.2% of stores have one manager
Check the web address letter by letter and use the Detector de Site Confiável tool for links received in messages. Share personal data only on official sites with an encrypted connection.
Evidence to keep and who to notify after a payment scam
Save proof of the transaction, such as the store link, screenshots of the fake profile and payment receipts. Register a police report and notify the bank or payment institution as quickly as possible.
AI removes old warning signs such as spelling mistakes, which is why Black Friday 2026 calls for constant checks. Shoppers should confirm every offer on the store’s official website and track the order after paying.
A survey shows that 87% of consumers plan to use AI to compare prices, yet 63% cannot identify fake ads generated by algorithms. Exposure to fraud risk linked to AI rose from 26% in 2025 to 32% in 2026.
