AI-driven scams surge during Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025
Scammers used generative AI to create highly realistic phishing campaigns during Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025, achieving a 30-fold increase in shopping scams and targeting major retailers. Consumers reportedly lost hundreds to thousands of dollars to these AI-enhanced fraud schemes.
What happened
Scammers are using generative AI to create ultra-convincing phishing campaigns targeting Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers in November 2025.
According to cybersecurity company Guardio, there has been a 30x increase in shopping-related scams and fraudulent text messages over the past month, with a more than 500 percent rise in unique email addresses promoting Black Friday-related campaigns in the past week.
The Anti-Phishing Working Group found that 76 percent of phishing websites now use AI-generated content. Scammers are targeting popular brands including AT&T, Amazon, Apple, Loews, Verizon, Costco, Walmart, and Kroger, with common tactics including 'urgent account alert' text messages claiming account suspension or declined payments.
Reported impact
Shoppers lose an average of £125 to scams advertising deals, with victims in worst cases losing as much as £3,500 to Black Friday shopping scams according to cyber security firm Norton.
The Federal Trade Commission reported that U.S. consumers lost more than $432 million in online shopping scams in 2024, with 2025 expected to see higher losses.
Index analysis
AI is being used to select and target vulnerable victims and to create realistic replicas of legitimate websites, emails, and text messages. The technology enables scammers to perfectly replicate company communications and create AI-generated videos and voice impersonations of company employees, removing traditional telltale signs of fraud such as spelling errors or grammatical mistakes.
The surge in AI-enabled scams exploits seasonal factors: consumers are distracted during the holiday period and pressured by the urgency of limited-time deals, making them more vulnerable to attacks.
Governance controls
The UK Home Office issued a warning ahead of the Black Friday shopping period, advising consumers not to be pressured into acting swiftly.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.