O2 has issued an urgent alert this week ahead of the big Black Friday shopping event.
A major week of shopping is just days away, with Black Friday 2025 officially beginning on Friday, November 28. While the big sales are great for bargain hunters and shoppers looking for a saving, this yearly event also brings increased risk for consumers, and not being on high alert could be costly. Cybercriminals often use the Black Friday rush to take advantage and cash in, with crooks sending out convincing text-message scams in a bid to trick people.
One of the biggest threats is delivery scams. With so many people ordering online, it’s easy to forget what you’ve bought — and scammers exploit this by sending fake “missed delivery” or shopping-related messages.
To help protect customers, O2 has issued a major warning urging everyone to “stay vigilant.”
“As deal-hunters are expected to spend billions over the Black Friday weekend, a quarter of Brits (25%) admit they often forget what they’ve purchased until it arrives. This makes delivery scam texts more believable — something scammers plan to take advantage of,” O2 explained.
To boost safety, Virgin Media O2 says it now uses AI and firewall technology to block scam calls and texts. The company reports that hundreds of millions of scam messages have already been stopped this year, including millions of fake delivery alerts.
If you’re concerned about these scams, O2 has shared five tips to help you stay protected:
1. Keep track of your orders.
With 6 in 10 Brits shopping more over Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it’s easy to lose track. Making a note of what you’ve bought can help you spot fake confirmations.
2. Double-check suspicious links before clicking.
Scam texts often direct you to fake websites. Links that look odd, are unusually long, or shortened (like bit.ly) could be fraudulent — especially if they claim to be from major couriers such as DPD, Evri, Royal Mail, or Yodel.
3. Beware of urgent payment requests.
Fraudsters pressure victims to act quickly. If a message claims your parcel won’t be delivered unless you pay immediately, it’s likely a scam. Legitimate delivery companies don’t demand instant payments via text.
4. Check the sender details.
Most modern phones show trusted couriers as branded names (e.g., “DPD,” “Royal Mail”). If a message comes from a random or non-UK number, treat it with caution.
5. Be cautious of vague messages.
Scammers keep their messages generic to trick as many people as possible. If there’s no specific reference to what you ordered or where it’s from, be suspicious.
Speaking about the latest threat, James Harwood, Fraud Prevention Strategy Lead at Virgin Media O2 said: “Black Friday should be about landing great deals – not becoming victim to fraud. But unfortunately, sophisticated scammers know busy shopping periods are a perfect time for them to act.
“We have blocked hundreds of millions of scam texts, including fake delivery messages, this year alone. But this festive season we’re issuing new advice to help more Brits swerve the scammers. Don’t get stung this Black Fraud-day. If something looks suspicious, don’t click. Instead, report it to 7726 so we can investigate.”
