Kiwis are being urged to pause before they pay this Black Friday by MBIE’s Consumer Protection team in order to avoid falling victim to scammers. 

Major promotional events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday see scammers use the heightened sense of urgency to attract consumers with fake online shops and advertisements.

These often particularly revolve around brands which do not have a direct presence in New Zealand.

These websites often end in nz.com or newzealand.com rather than .co.nz

A recent survey from Netsafe found shopping scams were the second most common form of scam in New Zealand.

Ian Caplin from MBIE’s Consumer Protection team says consumers should consider three things when they’re shopping over the promotional weekend.

“Check the online trader is who they say they are, that they’re contactable if there is a problem with your order and that they will deliver what you ordered in good time.

“Things to look out for include lack of local contact details, a web address that doesn’t match what’s being sold and if the price is noticeably lower than everywhere else. Make sure any website asking for your information has a padlock symbol next to the web address in your browser.

“You can also protect yourself by using trusted payments systems like PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Wallet.”

CERT NZ’s new consumer-focused website, Own Your Online website contains up to date guidance for anyone concerned about online shopping scams. Consumerprotection.govt.nz also provides general information on your rights when shopping online.