With Black Friday just around the corner, you may have seen some tempting deals from Big Lots making the rounds on social media. But before you break out your credit card, make sure you can tell a real Big Lots sale apart from a scam. This article will uncover the truth about sketchy Black Friday promotions tied to the BigLots name and guide you on safely navigating online deals this holiday season.
We’ll explore common tricks used to fool shoppers, real customer complaints, and fail-safe tips for scoring Black Friday savings without getting scammed. Read on to learn if that Big Lots offer is legit or just an elaborate ruse to steal your money.
Overview of Big Lots Black Friday Sale Scam
The Big Lots Black Friday scam refers to fraudulent websites and emails that impersonate the legitimate biglots.com website and run fake Black Friday sales to trick customers. These scams aim to exploit rush and hype surrounding the big shopping holiday weekend.

Typically, the scammers will create copycat websites using the real Big Lots branding, colors, images, and logo. These sham sites will then advertise on social media (facebook, instagram) with unbelievable deals like “Entire Store 80% Off” that are impossible for any true retailer to offer at a profit. Other tactics like fake inventory counters pressure customers into immediate impulse purchases before deeper inspection.
How Black Friday Scam Sites Trap Victims
The temptation of scoring a cheap sofa or refrigerator at a steal of a price is precisely why scammers thrive during Black Friday sales. The huge hype around major discounts from trusted retailers makes shoppers more likely to click an enticing ad without digging deeper. Fraudsters know this and craft sophisticated schemes to exploit these spending frenzies.
Here is precisely how they ensnare victims:
- Baiting You With the Brand Name: The scammers build copycat websites that closely mimic top retailers. Using the Big Lots logo, images and visual branding, they appear as the legitimate store. The only goal is tricking you into believing you’re shopping on Biglots.com.
- Promising Unrealistic Discounts: Next, they bait you by advertising jaw-dropping low prices no real company could honor. Price tags saying 70% off everything or $500 furniture for $100 capture attention fast.
- Faking Urgency: Bogus countdown timers, claims of dwindling inventory, and other psychological tricks pressure you into immediate impulse buys before deeper thought.
- Quietly Collecting Your Data: At online checkout, your credit card, name, address and contact info are all harvested – not to process a real order, but to steal your identity or sell it illegally.
- Never Delivering the Goods: After you submit payment, your order vanishes into thin air. Or worse – you’ll receive shoddy knock-offs that pale in comparison to the advertised goods. Either way, the scammers already got what they wanted – your sensitive data.
Now that the bait and switch is exposed, let’s look at real-life examples of Big Lots Black Friday scams in action.
Fake Domains Flooding Social Media of Big Lots Discount Scam
Around November each year, bogus Big Lots Black Friday sale ads explode everywhere from Facebook to Instagram. But a quick peek shows it’s not the bonafide store.
Red Flags & List of Fake Domain to avoid
While the decor of scam sites mirrors the real Biglots.com, the URLs clearly differ.

Here we listed some fake mirror sites offering sham deals:
- Biglots-Onlinestore.com
- Biglots-sale.com
- Biglotsmall.com
- Biglotssave.com
- Biglotsclearances.com
- Biglotsaver.com
- Biglotsclearance.com
- Discountdealplaza.com
- BigLotsDiscounts.com
- Brindisaham.com
- Biglotsonlinestore.com
- Storevrey.com
- Biglots-Clearance.com
- Biglotsblackfridaysale.com
- Blackfridayinbiglots.com
- Mellifluoustar.com
- Biglotsclearancestore.co
- and many more
Misspellings, extra hyphens and odd domain extensions signal frauds. Just avoid these and all other fake domains. BELOW is a big one to avoid.
Peddling Prices Too Good to Be True
Beyond the funky web address, a peek inside these sham sites reveals the true red flag – laughably steep discounts like “Entire Store 80% Off!” for a major retailer. Even with frenzied doorbusters, the real Big Lots simply can’t offer such nonsense prices.
Cranking Up the Pressure
As the fictitious sale goes on, ads show dwindling inventory meters urging “Almost Gone!” to spike impulse orders. Begin slideshow below of different examples we uncovered actively running right now.
With hoards of bogus sites like these flooding social media right now, extreme caution is warranted before grabbing deals. Now let’s examine what real-life victims exposed as they realized those Big Lots steals were dirty scams.
Big Lots Black Friday Deals: Legit or Scam?
One glimpse at angry customer complaints confirms those unbelievable Big Lots price cuts were absolutely scams. Here is what victims reported after placing orders:
Majority Just Vanish into Thin Air
“I ordered a sofa and dining set for only $350 total. The site took my payment but I never got any shipping confirmation. Two weeks later and still absolutely nothing came. I’ve emailed them daily only to be ignored.”
Low-Grade Knockoffs Materialize
“I scored two beautiful rustic barstools for 80% off, what a steal! Or so I thought – what arrived was a cheap pair made of plastic and scrap metal. They looked NOTHING like what I ordered.”
Random Junk Shows Up Instead
“I purchased a bedroom dresser since it was marked down so low. What I received was a single pillowcase printed with pineapples. Are you kidding me?? What a joke.”
As we see, the majority of orders through these Big Lots Black Friday scam websites resulted in theft – either of money alone or personal information as well. Only occasionally did victims receive worthless knock-offs just to technically fulfill credit card disputes.
But what was always stolen – trust in the celebrated American brand Big Lots. Next we’ll hear directly from more scammed shoppers.
Consumer Reviews: Big Lots Scam Victim Complaints
Understanding first-hand experiences from those stung by fraudulent Big Lots Black Friday deals provides the strongest warning to avoid their traps.
Here are just a few of the many scam complaints found online:
I came across a Big Lots Black Friday sale offering unbeatable prices on furniture and patio sets. However, after I placing my order, I never received any confirmation email. It’s been weeks and still nothing arrived. Total scam site – stay away from these too good to be true deals! – Sandra, New Jersey
I got duped by a website called BigLotblackfridaysale.com that was running ads on Instagram. I ordered over $400 worth of Christmas decorations for way cheaper than normal. Afterwards I found out this site had completely stolen my credit card number. My bank is investigating now. Don’t get tricked by these scams using the Big Lots name. – Leo, Oregon
I saw a Black Friday preview ad for Big Lots that looked legit. But when I clicked to the site and ordered a loveseat on clearance, the charge on my card said “DecoGleam” which I later found out was some fraudulent retailer. Be really careful with these sites claiming to have huge sales. – Amy, Rhode Island
As we see, behind each complaint is a real person who fell for deceitful bargains tied to the Big Lots banner. The consequences ranged from wasted money to problematic identity theft resulting from the data breaches.
Now we will explore crucial tips to avoid online shopping scams this Black Friday – especially from sham sites exploiting the trusted Big Lots name.
Staying Safe: How to Avoid Black Friday Scams
While scam websites may look slick, small clues expose their fraudulent nature before you ever click “Buy”. Here are tips to safely separate incredible deals from outright steals:
Slow Down: Don’t Impulse Buy
No matter the savings, fight the urge to impulse purchase from unfamiliar sites showing major red flags:
- Unbelievable “lowest prices ever!” across all products
- High pressure tactics like dwindling inventory meters
- Misspelled branding or specs
Take a beat rather than a bait. Time exposes truth.
Verify the Retailer Outside the Site
Never rely solely on information inside the potential scam site itself. Open a new browser tab to independently confirm:
- Search the company name + words like “scam”, “fake” or “review”
- Lookup reputable reviews on the retailer
- Check complaint forums like scamadvisor
- Call customer service numbers listed on the real retailer’s website
Analyze the Website Address Carefully
Subtle tricks like additional hyphens, odd domains, misspellings or subdomains indicate frauds. Here are giveaways:
- Odd urls: Biglots-sale.com or biglotsonlinestore.com
- Hyphen tricks: big-lotsblack-friday.com
- Subdomains: biglots.blackfridaydiscounts.com
- Misspellings: bigloatsblackfriday.com
Only biglots.com is legit.
Confirm Encrypted Connections
Secure sites should show “HTTPS” in the URL bar with a lock icon. Unencrypted connections can facilitate data theft. Never enter information on HTTP sites.
Review Your Credit Card Statements
Carefully review charges to identify unauthorized transactions tied to fraud. Dispute them immediately with your card issuer. Freeze accounts compromised by scams until new cards arrive.
Follow these tips and your odds of scoring crazy doorbuster savings soar while risks of being scammed plunge. Avoid traps by verifying legitimacy outside suspect sites as well.
Now let’s recap the key points to remember when deal hunting this Black Friday:
Final Verdict
- Scam websites impersonate real brands like Big Lots and run fake Black Friday sales with unreal prices up to 90% off.
- These sites steal credit card and personal information entered at online checkout, often selling it to identity thieves.
- Red flags include unbelievable discounts on all products, pressuring sales tactics and misspelled web addresses.
- Avoid scams by independently verifying retailer reputation before providing your information.
- Carefully analyze site URLs for subtle tricks like odd domain extensions or extra hyphens indicating frauds.
- Only order directly from biglots.com to guarantee legitimate deals and protections.
By staying savvy this Black Friday, you can score authentic steals without being subjected to dirty scams riding on the coattails of trusted names like Big Lots. Just remember our tips during frenzied deal hunting and your savings – not scammers – will end up the big winners this holiday season.
FAQs
1. Is Biglotsaver.com real or fake?
Fake. Any website with a URL trying to mimic the real Big Lots site (biglots.com) is fraudulent. These scam sites with misspelled or slightly altered URLs are not the real company.
2. Is it safe to shop at sites like BigLotsDiscounts.com?
Absolutely not safe. These are scammer-created websites that will steal your money and personal information. Only shop at biglots.com.
3. Can I get a refund if I ordered from a fake Big Lots site?
Unfortunately, fake Big Lots websites will not provide any customer service or refunds. Your best bet is contacting your credit card company to dispute the charges as fraud.
4. Where can I report fake Big Lots websites running Black Friday scams?
Report them to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov and Cybercrime.gov to help get these scam sites shut down.
5. Can I still find real Black Friday deals from the actual BigLots.com?
Yes, you can safely shop Black Friday sales and online deals at the legitimate Big Lots website Biglots.com without risk of scams. Just avoid any copycat sites.