{
  "id": 16637313,
  "title": "Fake TikTok Shops now fuel one in five phishing blocks — and Black Friday could make it worse",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/fake-tiktok-shops-now-fuel-one-in-five-phishing-blocks-and-black",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-26T17:37:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechRadar",
    "slug": "techradar",
    "url": "https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/fake-tiktok-shops-now-fuel-one-in-five-phishing-blocks-and-black-friday-could-make-it-worse"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Fake TikTok Shops are now responsible for one in every five phishing blocks, with the problem likely to worsen ahead of Black Friday, according to a new report by Surfshark. Between May and September 2026, a single suspected counterfeit TikTok Shop domain accounted for roughly 320,000 phishing blocks, equating to about 19% of the 1.6 million phishing-category blocks recorded by the company's web content blocker during the same period. This surge was particularly pronounced in October, with the domain generating another 96,711 blocks within the first 20 days of the month.\n\nThe findings raise concerns ahead of the busiest shopping period of the year, highlighting the importance of vigilance when shopping online. A single fake storefront contributed to a significant jump in phishing blocks, rising from 16,995 in May to 125,413 in September, peaking at 22.2% of all phishing blocks in August. Total phishing-category blocks surged by 524% between April and September, and blocks per protected device increased by 83%, indicating that the growth is not solely due to more users using the tool.\n\nFrance experienced the sharpest rise in phishing exposure, with blocks per protected device increasing by 159%, while other European countries such as Italy (99%), Spain (86%), the UK (54%), and Germany (38%) also saw notable increases. In the US, exposure nearly doubled, with blocks per protected device rising by 87%, and total phishing blocks growing by nearly sixfold, from 20,519 to 122,580.\n\nTo stay safe during Black Friday, Surfshark advises users to verify the authenticity of websites, manually type trusted addresses if a redirect appears suspicious, avoid promotional links sent via SMS or messaging apps, and consider using single-use virtual cards for payments. Additionally, the company suggests relying on security tools like the web content blocker to catch any potential threats that may slip through.",
  "summary": "Surfshark data shows blocks of one fake TikTok Shop domain rose 638% between May and September, as phishing exposure climbs across Europe and the US ahead of Black Friday.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Mashable",
        "title": "The Roborock Qrevo 2 Pro robot vacuum hits best-ever price at Amazon — save $250.01 ahead of Black Friday",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/the-roborock-qrevo-2-pro-robot-vacuum-hits-best-ever-price-at-amazon",
        "published": "2026-10-22T12:03:09.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Android Authority",
        "title": "Anker Nano 13-in-1 USB-C dock gets a 20% Amazon price drop",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/anker-nano-13-in-1-usb-c-dock-gets-a-20-amazon-price-drop",
        "published": "2026-10-22T14:37:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Android Police",
        "title": "Garmin's 14-day smartwatch hits a rare $151 discount on Amazon",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/garmins-14-day-smartwatch-hits-a-rare-151-discount-on-amazon",
        "published": "2026-10-22T15:45:33.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "IGN",
        "title": "Save 50% Off the New 2026 75\" TCL QM8L 4K TV With Super Quantum Dot Technology Ahead of Black Friday",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/save-50-off-the-new-2026-75-tcl-qm8l-4k-tv-with-super-quantum-dot",
        "published": "2026-10-22T19:10:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MacRumors",
        "title": "AirTag 2 Drops to New Low Price of $23 on Amazon",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/airtag-2-drops-to-new-low-price-of-23-on-amazon",
        "published": "2026-10-25T14:31:28.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}