Police and banks have warned consumers to be wary when shopping during this week’s Black Friday sale, with an increase in scams expected to take a toll on shoppers.
Police say criminals between Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year defrauded UK online shoppers £2.5 million.
Many people never received the goods they ordered from unknown websites and some were subsequently targeted by criminals using the banking information provided during the transaction.
Over £15 million was lost to fraud in the run-up to Christmas 2020, with more than 28,000 reports of scams costing more than £500 on average. The number is up dramatically as many designer hunters are still avoiding high street stores, with a second round of lockdowns in place in the days leading up to Christmas. Action Fraud, the national reporting center for fraud and cybercrime, says the rate is up 61 percent from 2019.
Action Fraud has advised consumers to check extra when shopping online, as Black Friday approaches November 26.
Pauline Smith, the service’s director, said people should always shop with official retailers, adding: “If you think you’ve found a bargain that’s too good to be true, yes yes. maybe so. Please stop and think before you buy, as it can protect you and your money.”
Younger people are likely to be at risk, with just over a quarter of reports to police coming from people in their 20s, and more than half of scams involving electronics involving purchases of gaming consoles. Xbox or PlayStation.
People often make the mistake of fake websites that look exactly like the official suppliers’ websites but are advertising goods at much cheaper prices. The fraud service specifically advises caution if there is any pressure from the retailer to buy quickly.
Research from Barclays Bank shows that many people may be susceptible, with more than a third of Britons planning to shop online during the sale – and 14% of them happily shopping online. Weird site at a bargain price.
During last year’s Black Friday season, the number of reported shopping scams increased by 17% with victims losing an average of £538, Barclays estimates.
Many are open to common scams, with one in eight saying they would give their pin to callers from their bank and 25% saying they would help if asked to participate.” bank’s internal investigation”.
The bank says online sales are a huge opportunity for fraud, and scammers often target victims again using details gathered during the first scam.
