Shoppers are being urged to be on alert to online scams this Black Friday as criminals look to exploit customers on one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
Black Friday, which falls on November 25 this year, is a period in which fraudsters are known to lure bargain hunters. What's more, those aged between 19 to 25 are the group most likely to fall for scams, according to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB).
Such scams include one bargain hunter losing more than £150 from trying to buy a second hand phone on social media - while one particularly big loss came from a victim who was conned out of £7,000 while attempting to buy a camper van online.
NFIB research has found that people lost a combined £15.3 million due to scams in the lead up to Christmas, with that the average loss to be £1,000.
In response, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has launched a national Cyber Aware campaign to make people aware of the telltale signs of scams and other tips on how not to fall victim to hacking.
This advice includes protecting accounts with two-step verification and strong passwords using three random words.
Lindy Cameron, NCSC CEO, said: "Online shoppers will understandably be looking for bargains during the Black Friday and Christmas shopping period and we want them to do so safely.
"Sadly we know that criminals will look to exploit consumers at this time of year which is why good cyber security has such an important role to play.
"I would urge everyone to help us fight the scammers by following our Cyber Aware advice to set up two-step verification and use three random words passwords."
The IT experts are also urging people to research online retailers before making any purchases by examining customer reviews and consumer websites.
When paying for goods online, it is recommended to do so securely with credit cards as they provide better protection or with payment platforms such as PayPal, Google or Apple Pay.
Pauline Smith, head of Action Fraud, said: "I urge shoppers to be cautious of where and who you're buying from. Our figures show that most scams last year involved mobile phones and electronics, so always shop with official retailers and don’t be enticed by deals that seem too good to be true.
"Where possible, use a credit card when shopping online as this will offer you more protection if anything goes wrong. Follow our practical advice to enjoy shopping online safely and ensure you’re not targeted this Christmas, especially given the cost-of- living crisis we’re facing."
The NFIB data showed that almost half of the scams reported to Action Fraud mentioned one social media platform, making it the most likely medium for shopping and auction fraud to take place.
Of the 19,744 reports of scams, 20% were related to the purchase of electronics and 13% to mobile phones. And fraud related to the purchase of selling vehicles was the third most common (8%).
The data also revealed that the demographic most likely to fall victim to online shopping scams was those aged 19 to 25 with 47% of the victims being male and 41% female, with the remaining 12% not providing that information.
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