ACCC sweeps for Black Friday deception as Australians gear up to spend $7B
The ACCC is sweeping retailers across websites, emails and social media to catch misleading Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales tactics.
Australians are set to spend close to $7 billion on Black Friday and Cyber Monday on November 27 and 30. The ACCC is sweeping multiple retail sectors to catch misconduct: fake "sitewide" or "storewide" discount claims, inaccurate countdown timers, misleading price comparisons, and high-pressure tactics.
The ACCC has run two earlier sweeps, and this one is the first to examine websites, emails and social media at the same time. The watchdog also warned of fake online shops and AI-powered scams impersonating legitimate businesses.
Fine-print disclaimers are not enough to protect false sitewide claims, the ACCC said.
- $7 billion
- Black Friday spending
- November 27
- Black Friday date
- November 30
- Cyber Monday date
- 58.7 percent
- ScamWatch reports with losses
Why it mattersYou need to check if you're actually getting a deal and watch for fake shops. AI makes scams harder to spot and more convincing.
AustraliaAustralians should compare prices between retailers, check for exclusions, and focus on final price rather than discount claims when shopping Black Friday.
