Online shopping scams were the second most-reported type of fraud that resulted in $12.5 billion (yes, billion with a ‘b’) in losses in 2024 alone. These scams infiltrate homes by playing on emotions and using new generative AI techniques to make the unbelievable, believable. Today, WIRED’s Andrew Couts takes a deep dive into online shopping scams.
#BlackFriday #Scams #OnlineShopping
00:00 – WIRED’s deep dive into online shopping scams
00:22 – Fake websites: Deceived. Nobbled. Swindled.
02:03 – Fake merchandise: Who needs a cat bed that big anyways?
02:52 – Social media scams: “WIRED100” for 100% off subscribing to our channel
04:32 – Shipping scams: Just leave it on read
05:00 – Charity scams: Puppy dog eyes? Not buying it…
06:04 – Brushing scams: Don’t scan the code. Don’t scan the code. Don’t scan the code.
07:07 – What you can do: 7 tips to protect your money
*Credits:*
Director: Efrat Kashai
Director of Photography: Mar Alfonso
Editor: Jeremy Ray Smolik
Host: Andrew Couts
Line Producer: Jamie Rasmussen
Associate Producer: Paul Gulyas
Production Manager: Peter Brunette
Production Coordinator: Rhyan Lark
Camera Operator: Jeremy Harris
Gaffer: Salif Soumahoro
Sound Mixer: Sean Paulsen
Production Assistant: Shanti Cuizon-Burden
Post Production Supervisor: Christian Olguin
Post Production Coordinator: Stella Shortino
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araujo
Additional Editor: Sam DiVito
Assistant Editor: Fynn Lithgow
Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►►
Listen to the Get WIRED podcast ►►
Want more WIRED? Get the magazine ►►
Follow WIRED:
Instagram ►►
Twitter ►►
Facebook ►►
Tik Tok ►►
Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.
ABOUT WIRED
WIRED is where tomorrow is realized.
@pippa3150
November 27, 2025 at 12:37 pm
Thank you for doing this video!
@MidnightFoodSearcher
November 27, 2025 at 12:38 pm
Thank you.
@eddy2561
November 27, 2025 at 12:39 pm
A well known scientist predicts online scams are going to get soooo bad, people will stop buying online and go back to brick and mortar stores for safety…
@LongerThanAverageUsername
November 27, 2025 at 12:41 pm
Is the “well know scientist” in the room right now?
@JohnHausser
November 27, 2025 at 1:12 pm
A well known scientist also thinks the contrary
@CaiqueDsilva
November 27, 2025 at 12:59 pm
They stole MY sun
@Peaceful_Rayne
November 27, 2025 at 12:59 pm
I get Canada Post scams like that kinda. I get text messages similar to those…. I ignore them. Just creepy that they tend to coincide with similar times to when I AM expecting packages…
@LynnTinder01
November 27, 2025 at 1:04 pm
I’ve run into *far* fewer scam sites since leaving all social media except YT. And I never click external links on here.
@IdleVillager-11
November 27, 2025 at 1:39 pm
Yeah, same here. It’s nice to not get drawn into some dumb argument with idiots on the Internet too. Social media is dead, all that is left is rage bait and hot girls begging for attention (who may be fake/AI).
@JohnHausser
November 27, 2025 at 1:10 pm
“Shut up and give me the money”
🐱
@justayoutuber1906
November 27, 2025 at 1:12 pm
You don’t need 80% of what you buy. It all ends up in landfills in less than a year.
@justayoutuber1906
November 27, 2025 at 1:13 pm
If you block ALL ads everywhere, you are less likely to get targeted.
@iloverihanna
November 27, 2025 at 1:16 pm
I hate this ai timeline !
@johnsonken96
November 27, 2025 at 1:34 pm
Are we going to talk about the Honey scam @wired?
@ScorpioQueen1
November 27, 2025 at 1:42 pm
Apps are more secure
@broafka
November 27, 2025 at 1:47 pm
Bro buy a microphone, you sound like my grandma’s radio
@lilwavesz
November 27, 2025 at 1:53 pm
The real scams people fall for most aren’t in this video and that’s disappointing.
Most companies scam you by artificially raising the prices on their site the weeks/month before a big sale, then “cutting” the inflated price and claiming it’s on discount when it’s really just being sold at its normal price. I see big name fashion retailers do this for Black Friday and cyber Monday increasingly more and more often since 2020. Amazon products are notorious for this too. Do your research before buying
@ModernNCRph
November 28, 2025 at 12:02 am
Its not a scam, it’s called BUSINESS TACTIC.
@user-fk8zw5js2p
November 28, 2025 at 12:26 pm
Yes, as @ModernNCRph said, this happens every holiday season since the middle of the last century. The fact that prices fluctuate over months is not a scam. Prices changing between when you click and when they show up in your cart is a scam.
@neccosan
November 27, 2025 at 2:02 pm
The key is to stop spending for things you don’t actually need
@AndogaSpock
November 27, 2025 at 2:15 pm
Try to buy things offline as much as possible, get some exercise in the process
@xandergr8t
November 27, 2025 at 2:55 pm
Thank you for sharing
@LR-mh8hs
November 27, 2025 at 3:52 pm
Could you talk any faster, please.
@echognomecal6742
November 27, 2025 at 3:54 pm
Phoned this one in, huh? Feel like I just got scammed.
@mstrb4972
November 27, 2025 at 4:35 pm
At this point what has AI done that’s good for us?
@MichelleM-x7s
November 30, 2025 at 12:54 am
😂😂😂
@garcipat
November 27, 2025 at 5:19 pm
Unfortunetly a lot of these things are done by actual retailers. Scarsety tactics are done by them too by limited deals. Or Black Friday deals or whatever.
@brandon8900
November 27, 2025 at 5:23 pm
Thanks Simon
@scott8919
November 27, 2025 at 5:45 pm
I wouldn’t consider Salvation Army a good charity.
@MysteryMoon111
November 27, 2025 at 6:39 pm
Wow
@lil----lil
November 27, 2025 at 7:29 pm
Even once reputable sites are FULL of scams. Shopee in Taiwan was once a great site to shop but now they “repackage” used/returned products and sell them as new. Amazon also has increasingly ALARMING “returned” products and sell them as new. The dog is coming back to bite us.
@subseeker
November 27, 2025 at 9:25 pm
Bla, blaa, blaaah. Another worthless video.
@Mr-Panther01
November 27, 2025 at 10:21 pm
Sambucha in a Wired video
@ladarequiem
November 27, 2025 at 10:38 pm
Youtube ads are full of scams i constantly report them
@sfdcubfan
November 27, 2025 at 11:38 pm
lol, in Saugatuck MI, there’s been a Going Out of Business sale at an art gallery for the 21 years I’ve been visiting Saugatuck 😝
@christhompson2006
November 28, 2025 at 12:03 am
Be more skeptical. I don’t trust anyone.
@urbanstrencan
November 28, 2025 at 12:18 am
This online scams will be even bigger problem in the future 😢
@Julzartnerd
November 28, 2025 at 3:52 am
Seen this a lot don’t buy anything off facebook ever!
@vectorwolf
November 28, 2025 at 9:03 am
I’ve never scanned a qr code in my life. I’ve never trusted any mystery code I can’t plainly read and know what it says. Tbh, the bait and switch on products has gotten so bad, I don’t really shop online anymore either. If I need something, I’ll go to a store where I can see it, or take it back if I have to. If I can’t get it locally, well, then I didn’t really need it.
@callicordova4066
November 28, 2025 at 10:48 am
JUST DON’T BUY ANYTHING ON BLACK FRIDAY.
@kurtloeffler4638
November 28, 2025 at 12:32 pm
It’s too bad this guy couldn’t talk any faster.
@rika-chan
November 28, 2025 at 4:49 pm
dns spoofing essentially does not happen in 2025 with HSTS and DoH.
@dm-31024
November 29, 2025 at 1:34 am
Wow. Thank you for this. They are getting very, very sneaky.
@Eleeza-Lynn
November 29, 2025 at 9:29 pm
They also aren’t stealing my money
@OtakusForever-k2w
November 30, 2025 at 10:17 am
Misamo will be back on February 4th 🤩🤩🤩 Can we get an interview with them? 😍
@Sad_Discoball
November 30, 2025 at 7:19 pm
Honestly, we’re all lucky we even got to experience such a thing as easy online shipping, time to face up that we be going back in time …
@MoccaMd
December 1, 2025 at 12:32 am
This is really worrying. Online shopping scams are getting smarter, especially with AI making everything look so real. I think it’s safer to double-check anything that feels too good to be true. I’ve tried using TruthScan when something looks suspicious, I’m not sure how perfect it is, but it seems to help.
@v.prestorpnrcrtlcrt2096
December 1, 2025 at 8:11 pm
i get DHL texts asking for my signature. Real or not, PENSE PAS!
@Rocinante808
December 3, 2025 at 5:57 pm
We need legislation to outlaw the generative AI that does this and allow it for research purposes.
@legendary6890
December 5, 2025 at 11:17 am
Can’t blame ai for it, people do scams, ai just help. Ai gain nothing out of it.