Ahead of Black Friday, the UK’s busiest retail period, new Barclays research shows that shoppers are letting their guard down, even as scams become harder to spot. With one in three UK adults (34 per cent) having been targeted by, lost money to, or known someone caught out by a shopping scam, Barclays is urging deal-seekers to check before they pay.
Two in three UK adults (67 per cent) believe there are more shopping scams online now than a year ago, and half (49 per cent) feel more worried about falling victim to a scam than they did 12 months ago. Just one in ten (10 per cent) say they are confident that they won’t fall victim to a scam over Black Friday and Cyber Monday, down from 12 per cent in 2025.
However, this worry is not translating into caution, with fewer than four in ten (36 per cent) saying they would check whether a website is genuine before committing to a purchase. One in five (21 per cent) say they shop online while doing something else, such as watching TV – rising to three in ten Millennials (31 per cent). When shoppers are distracted, they are more likely to miss warning signs, such as a misspelt web address or a deal that looks too good to be true. One in seven (15 per cent) say they make no checks at all.
This comes despite three in four (76 per cent) saying they believe advances in AI have made scams more convincing. Shoppers say AI is making fake reviews (44 per cent) and fake retailer websites (43 per cent) harder to spot. Just one third (34 per cent) say they are confident they could spot an AI-generated scam when shopping online – down from 36 per cent in 2025. Gen Z are far more sure of themselves, with over half (54 per cent) saying the same.
Gen Z caught out despite confidence – as social platforms fuel pressure
Despite Gen Z’s confidence, research shows this is not protecting them, with Gen Z more than twice as likely as the average adult to have lost money to a Black Friday or Cyber Monday scam (7 per cent, compared with 3 per cent). This comes as Barclays proprietary data shows purchase scam claims from Gen Z rose 16.8 per cent in H1 2026 – more than twice the rise across all customers (7.8 per cent) – while the overall value of their claims surged 56.3 per cent, almost four times the overall rise (14.2 per cent).
Much of this comes down to the pressure Gen Z face online, with almost half (46 per cent) saying they often feel pressure to buy sale items quickly to avoid missing out – compared with 27 per cent of all adults. Half of Gen Z (53 per cent) say they rely on social media reviews when shopping online – compared with one in five (21 per cent) of all adults – and three in ten (31 per cent) say they have bought something on a social shopping platform such as TikTok Shop in the past year, versus a national average of 12 per cent.
However, those same feeds are also where fraudsters operate. A quarter of Gen Zs (25 per cent) have come across a fake social media account pretending to be a retailer, brand or public figure in the past year – twice the rate among all adults (12 per cent). And people want these platforms to take action, with eight in ten overall (80 per cent) say tech companies need to do more to prevent scams on their platforms, and seven in ten (69 per cent) believe they should be made to reimburse victims.
Fraudsters copy the organisations and people we trust
Barclays’ new advert Fraudsters shows fraudsters copying people’s every move, as nearly six in ten UK adults (57 per cent) have come across a copycat or impersonation attempt in the past year. If targeted by fraud, nine in ten (91 per cent) say it would be important for their bank both to spot and block it quickly, and to let them speak to a real person who understands what has happened (90 per cent).
Kirsty Adams, Fraud and Scams Expert at Barclays, said: “Black Friday is a great time to grab a bargain, and most of us know scams are out there. But when you’re scrolling on the sofa and a countdown timer starts ticking, or a deal pops up in your feed from an account that looks just like a brand you trust, it’s easy to get swept up and pay before you’ve had a chance to check. No deal is worth rushing for.
“So take a moment before you buy. Go to the retailer’s own website or app, and never pay by bank transfer to someone you don’t know. If something doesn’t feel right, give us a call. Our technology works to spot fraud in under a second, and we’ve got a team of real people ready to help if you need us.”
Kirsty Adams shares how to SPOT a scam this Black Friday:
S – Slow down
Scammers use countdown timers and ‘last chance’ offers to rush you. If a deal pushes you to act now, step back and check it first.
P – Pay safely
Use a debit or credit card or a trusted payment service. Never pay by bank transfer to a seller you don’t know.
O – Open the official site or app yourself
Don’t click links in texts, emails, ads or social posts. Type in the retailer’s web address or use its app.
T – Talk to someone
If something doesn’t feel right, speak to a friend, family member or your bank. If you think you’ve been scammed, call your bank straight away.
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