Central residents are being urged to pause before they pay this Black Friday.

The warning comes from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) Consumer Protection team, to help people avoid falling victim to scammers. 

Major promotional events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday see scammers use the heightened sense of urgency to attract consumers with fake online shops and advertisements. These often include brands, which do not have a direct presence in New Zealand.

Those online shops are known to have websites that end in nz.com or newzealand.com, rather than .co.nz

Alexandra Police Senior Constable Graham Perkins said Facebook was another trap for people, where it looked like administrators of the social media company were sending out a link for users to secure their account.

He urged people to look closely at the web address because often there was a giveaway such as a different font or extra words used in URL.

“If there are too many questions then don’t open the link,” he said.

Scammers also use banks to try and trick people into securing their accounts, asking people to lodge a complaint, “but as soon as they get in and the money is transferred overseas we have lost them.”

A recent survey from Netsafe found shopping scams were the second most common form of scam in New Zealand.

Ian Caplin from MBIE’s Consumer Protection team said consumers should consider three things when they’re shopping over the promotional weekend.

“Check the online trader is who they say they are, that they’re contactable if there is a problem with your order and that they will deliver what you ordered in good time," he said.

“Things to look out for include lack of local contact details, a web address that doesn’t match what’s being sold and if the price is noticeably lower than everywhere else. Make sure any website asking for your information has a padlock symbol next to the web address in your browser.

“You can also protect yourself by using trusted payments systems like PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Wallet.”

CERT NZ’s new consumer-focused website, Own Your Online website contains up to date guidance for anyone concerned about online shopping scams.

The Consumer Protection website also provides general information on your rights when shopping online.