Scammers are posting fake adverts for luxury advent calendars, selling them at a reduced price to con people wanting to grab a bargain in Black Friday sales.
Advent calendars housing luxury goods rather than chocolate have grown in popularity over the past decade.
Offerings from brands include Fortnum and Mason’s £265 calendar, which features luxury beauty products hidden behind its 25 doors, or department store Liberty’s 12 days of jewellery calendar priced at £695.
Which? has warned shoppers to beware of scammers offering deals that seem too good to be true ahead of Black Friday.
Cosmetics retailer Space NK has been targeted by scammers posting fake adverts online this week, which offer to sell its £250 advent calendar for just £28.99.
Space NK’s Jini Sanassy said: “We are aware that fraudulent imitations of our website are circulating on social media platforms.
“The issue has been immediately reported to Meta and our legal team are working to shut these websites down.”
The Black Friday holiday sale traditionally takes place on the fourth Friday in November, the day following Thanksgiving in America.
As Black Friday has grown in popularity, most retailers now extend their sales throughout the entire month.
Lisa Webb, consumer law expert for Which?, said: “Since these products can be expensive, many people will be looking for discounted and cheaper options, but it’s important to be wary of scammers trying to take advantage in the run-up to Black Friday and Christmas.”
She advised customers to check the URL of websites carefully and take extra care if you see something offered at such a low price.
“If the deal seems too good to be true, it often is,” she warned.
Last year, perfume brand Jo Malone was also targeted by scammers who were advertising its beauty calendar for £30 compared to its actual retail price of £350.
Any suspicious sites or adverts can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre.
Have you lost money to a scam? Contact National Fraud Helpline. Call 0333 0033218 or fill out our Claim Form.