Unbelievable discounts, countdown clocks, and urgent warnings of dwindling supplies — these are the siren songs of Black Friday already seducing consumers in emails and personalized ads.

But are the deals really that good? Or are people being lured into perilous consumer waters?

Advertisements on Black Friday and Cyber Monday promise major deals for price-conscious shoppers, but hidden fees, deceptive discounts and false scarcity — all illegal under Canada’s Competition Act — are some of the manipulative tactics used by retailers during the biggest shopping day of the year. The global sale event, once reserved only for Americans, has become a minefield for deceptive claims, triggering a warning from the Competition Bureau to companies at home and abroad that violate laws designed to

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