Experts say fraudulent sites and ads remain a pervasive issue. "Many of the scam sites are short-lived campaigns, so it's an ongoing effort to identify new sites," Ilya Volovik, director of Recorded Future Payment Fraud Intelligence, told CBS News. "Some of the longer living scam sites change their 'sales' advertisement based on a holiday."

Black Friday deals are already here. And so too are the Black Friday scams—attempts to part you from your hard-earned money. Avoiding these schemes isn’t too hard, though. Just a little extra vigilance can keep your shopping cart full of real discounts and your credit card safe from unwanted charges.

Experts are warning that fraudsters are exploiting Black Friday sales to target U.S. shoppers with fake websites and ads for major brands like IKEA, Wayfair and The North Face, after online scams hit record highs in 2023.

Black Friday brings millions of shoppers, both online and to physical stores. There will be a flurry of consumer activity from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. But that frenzy also attracts cybercriminals and scammers hoping to exploit the consumer surge.

From hacking into your online accounts to selling knock-off products, these are the ways criminals will target bargain-hunting shoppers.

Retailers are preparing to offer plenty of deals this holiday weekend, but they're not the only ones gearing up for Black Friday!