Cyber Monday 2026: FTC payment and phishing rules
Cyber Monday (Monday, 30 November 2026) concentrates card-not-present fraud and phishing. Apply the FTC’s online-shopping rules at every checkout and treat unexpected “shipping update” texts as hostile until proven otherwise.
Key points
- Credit card > gift card / wire / crypto-only demands.
- Type retailer URLs; do not trust social-ad redirects.
- Fake shipping SMS/email: open tracking only from the order page you already have.
Payment rules
- Prefer credit cards for dispute rights on missing or wrong items.
- Refuse gift-card, wire, payment-app-only or cryptocurrency demands.
- Enter card data only on https pages you navigated to yourself—not from a cold email link.
Phishing and fake shipping notices
- Unexpected “reschedule delivery” links are a common holiday scam pattern—do not click.
- If you did order something, check status inside the retailer’s order history or the carrier account you already trust.
- Never “update payment” from a text that arrived unsolicited.
Record-keeping
Save confirmation emails and the promised ship-by date. FTC rules require shipment by the advertised time (or within 30 days if none was stated) or a path to your money back.
Last verified 2026-10-15 against the sources listed below.
FAQ
Got a “package held” text?
Do not click. Open the retailer or carrier site you already use and check tracking there.
Seller wants crypto only?
Treat as a scam per FTC guidance.
Where to report?
ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Sources
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About these articles
Drafts are AI-assisted and checked against official announcements. Dates, times and road rules that affect travel are sourced and dated. Rules can change—confirm on official sites before you go. Report corrections by email.