Almost one third of online shoppers may well be putting themselves at risk over the Christmas period, in the frenzy to grab a Christmas bargain.
Black Friday saw customers take a chance on unfamiliar and unsecure sites according to Financial Fraud Action UK. Shoppers aged between 16 and 24 are reportedly more at risk, with 46% of those asked saying they would be willing to take a risk compared to just 18% of people aged 55 and over. FFA director Katy Worobec said: “Fraudsters use a variety of convincing tactics to entice unsuspecting shoppers to give over their financial details”
Scams that have been identified so far include scam emails, fake social media ads and adverts on internet searches advertising heavy discounts, enticing people to enter in their bank details into fake websites. The dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit have emphasised the importance of pausing before purchase and ‘do your research.’
E-commerce card fraud totalled an estimated £156 million in this first 5 months of 2016, a 46% rise in the same period of 2015. Christmas is busy period and it is even more imperative that you stay savvy whilst shopping online. Here are a few tips from borwell to avoid online fraud:
- If something seems too good to be true, it probably is
- On social media, it pays to make sure the accounts are verified, this means a blue tick will be on their profile
- If you receive a message from a ‘friend’ letting you know about an offer or freebie, consider if it is written in their style or if it would have come from them.
- Do not click on unsolicited links, even if they look genuine or have come from a trusted contact
- If you receive a suspicious message, report it to the company it came from, block the sender and delete it.