Black Friday – Foto: Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock.com
International studies indicate that early morning hours represent the highest risk period for fraud during Black Friday around the world. Research from 2024 shows malicious attack rates doubling daily, especially around 3am in different time zones. Fraudsters exploit the lower volume of legitimate transactions and the reduced attention of consumers and monitoring systems.
Peak shopping generally occurs between 10 am and 11 pm local time, with flows exceeding hundreds of thousands of orders per hour on global platforms. In the early hours of the morning, the number of transactions drops significantly, but the proportion of fraudulent attempts increases consistently in regions such as North America, Europe and Asia.
Reports from cybersecurity companies tracked billions of dollars in sales during the 2024 event. Patterns of criminal behavior are repeated on a global scale, with adjustments for promotion times on each continent.
- Creation of fake websites imitating large retailers;
- Misleading ads on social networks and search engines;
- Fraudulent messages via email, SMS or messaging apps;
- Changing payment codes or redirects;
- Fake profiles on international marketplaces.
Patterns observed in different regions
Countries in North America record peaks in attacks between midnight and 6am in the local time zone. In Europe, the same occurs adjusted to the continent’s schedules.
In Asia-Pacific, fraudsters synchronize actions with the start of promotions in markets such as China and Australia. Reducing human monitoring teams makes nighttime operations easier.
Main types of fraud
Phishing dominates with cloned pages from globally known stores. Fake ads lead to data capture on unsafe websites.
Fake communications simulate order confirmations or delivery updates. Payment data exchanges take place at the time of completion.
Information collection occurs through fictitious sellers on shared platforms.
Worldwide monitoring
Cybersecurity companies analyzed transactions in multiple countries during Black Friday 2024. Total volume surpassed trillions of dollars in e-commerce.
Systems detect suspicious patterns using artificial intelligence. Collaborations between platforms and authorities block irregular activities.
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Attacks are concentrated outside business hours in each zone. Reports indicate up to a 2% fraud rate in late night transactions.
Consumers on night shifts or in different time zones face high risks. Retailers adjust defenses to cover 24 hours.
Strategies used by criminals
Automated tools test stolen credentials on a large scale. Organized groups operate in international networks.
They anticipate launches of offers to create convincing traps. They enjoy long weekends on different schedules.
Preventative measures adopted
Platforms implement extra checks at risk times. Multi-factor authentication becomes mandatory in many regions.
Real-time alerts notify users of suspicious activity. Global partnerships share lists of known threats.
International reporting data
Organizations such as Interpol and national agencies report a consistent increase. Joint operations disrupt networks operating on several continents.
Global e-commerce grows annually in the November season. Fraud represents a significant percentage of total losses.
Evolution of Fraudulent Tactics
Attacks via messaging apps have increased in emerging regions. Use of deepfakes appears in more sophisticated campaigns.
Retailers display security certificates to reduce mistrust. Consumers embrace website verification tools.
Always check the full domain before purchasing. Avoid links from unknown sources during promotions.
Activate instant bank notifications. Use virtual cards for one-time transactions.
Prefer payments on official platforms with buyer protection.
