Ah, Black Friday — the annual retail rodeo where discounts stampede and shoppers brawl over bargains. But amidst the glorious chaos of Black Friday campaigns, a darker side lurks. Your inbox, once a sanctuary of semi-important emails, transforms into a battleground due to the sheer volume of spam and scams. Prepare yourself, dear shopper, for the onslaught of Black Friday-themed spam and phishing emails. We want to ensure your excitement doesn’t lead you to become the next victim of cybercriminals.

Your inbox doesn’t have to be collateral damage this sale season

Let's face it, most of us are vulnerable to a well-crafted promotion, especially when it comes with the allure of Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts. Cybercriminals are acutely aware of this weakness and are more than happy to exploit it through increasingly sophisticated spam campaigns. We're not just talking about promotional emails or the run-of-the-mill Black Friday spam emails. Oh no — we're talking about insidious phishing emails designed to look just like legitimate offers, sent by accounts impersonating trusted brands. These often claim your order needs confirmation or that urgent action is required.
It’s all part of the game to trick you into handing over your precious data or, worse, your hard-earned cash. This year, it’s predicted that there will be an even larger surge in spam in 2025 than there was in 2024.

Black Friday 2025: Great Deals, Greater Data Grabs

Black Friday is a playground for scam artists, all eager to take advantage of the frenzy, especially when anticipation for discounts is at its peak. One particularly nasty trick involves survey scams, cloaked in the guise of Black Friday promotions. These surveys are designed to harvest your personal information, with the allure of fake offers. Think of them as data vacuum cleaners disguised as harmless questionnaires.
Bitdefender’s antispam lab team noted an uptick in phishing emails advertising Ray-Ban sunglasses around Black Friday last year — and this year will be no different. Be extra vigilant, and remember that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Why Black Friday Emails Are Gold for Scammers

Phishing disguised as promotions

During the peak of 2024's Black Friday season, cybercriminals unleashed a blizzard of phishing emails, all cleverly disguised as legitimate deals. These weren’t just random spam messages; they were sophisticated Black Friday phishing campaigns aimed at tricking even the savviest shopper. Many featured luxury brands like Ray-Ban sunglasses and high-end electronics at impossible prices — making them dangerously believable.

Fake order confirmations and coupon scams

Beware the Black Friday scam in your inbox! These emails falsely claim your orders require immediate confirmation, leading to fake login pages designed to steal your credentials. Others take the form of survey scams dressed up as Black Friday promotions, promising exclusive discounts or freebies in exchange for personal information. Remember, those enticing emails might just be sophisticated phishing attempts.

The Hidden Cost of Shopping Convenience

How merchants share or sell email data

Ever wondered why you're suddenly receiving spam about products you were just browsing? Many merchants share or even sell your email data to third parties, resulting in a cascade of spam — often from companies you’ve never interacted with. It's a less-than-savory side effect of the convenience we’ve come to expect in online retail. This sharing contributes to a sharp rise in global spam activity.

Tracking pixels and dynamic pricing

Did you know that tracking pixels embedded in those seemingly innocent Black Friday emails can monitor your shopping behavior? These pixels feed data back to retailers, enabling dynamic pricing — where prices subtly change based on your browsing history or perceived willingness to pay. The goal is simple: maximize profits. Unfortunately, this also makes you more likely to become the target of a Black Friday scam.

The “Burner Basket” Technique

Create a separate alias for all deal signups

Enter the "Burner Basket" technique, your secret weapon against the flood of Black Friday spam. Think of it as a digital decoy. The first step is to create a separate alias email address specifically for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sign-ups.
This isolates all promotional emails in one place, keeping your main inbox clean — and drastically reducing your exposure to phishing attempts.

Use inbox rules for cleanup

Once you’ve set up your burner alias, create inbox rules to automatically route any incoming Black Friday emails into a separate folder (or straight to the trash). That way, you can keep an eye on the deals without drowning in spam. You’ll also make it much easier to spot phishing messages that don’t belong.

Tip — “Shop Mindfully, Save Intelligently.”

So, you’re a savvy shopper ready to score those 2025 Black Friday deals without drowning in spam. Remember our golden rule: Shop Mindfully, Save Intelligently.
Pause before clicking, scrutinize the sender, and always question deals that seem too good to be true. In 2024, thousands fell for phishing emails advertising “discounted” Ray-Bans — and ended up with compromised data instead of cool shades.

Quick Checklist: A Spam-Proof Shopping Season

Before you dive into Black Friday, arm yourself with this quick checklist:

• Use strong, unique passwords for every shopping account.
• Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.
• Be wary of suspicious links in emails or ads.
• Never share payment info unless you’re sure of the sender’s legitimacy.
• Watch for common Black Friday-themed spam tactics like fake coupons or urgent order confirmations.

Follow these tips, and you’ll enjoy the deals without the digital disaster.

Steps for Clean Digital Receipts

After securing your deals, don’t forget your digital hygiene. Create a folder in your burner inbox to store receipts. Avoid using your primary email when signing up for retailer accounts, and periodically clean out old emails to minimize your digital footprint.
This reduces your exposure to spam and helps prevent phishing attempts that mimic order confirmations. A little discipline now can save a lot of trouble later — and keep your inbox safe long after the sale season ends.