Black Friday is just around the corner, which means millions of Brits will be on the hunt for the best deals ahead of Christmas.
But shoppers are being urged to remain cautious of online scams, with young people aged between 19 and 25 most at risk.
This year, Black Friday falls exactly a month before Christmas on November 25 - a time in which criminals are known to exploit consumers looking for deals.
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) revealed that a huge £15.3million was lost to scams during the festive period last year, with the average loss being £1,000.
Examples of a typical online scam includes one shopper losing over £150 while trying to purchase a mobile phone via social media.
Another shopper has been duped out of £7,000 while attempting to buy a campervan online.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – which is part of GCHQ – is now urging shoppers to be more cautious when purchasing things online.
And it includes protecting their accounts with two-step verification and strong passwords using three random words.
It makes up part of the NCSC's national Cyber Aware campaign which is giving shoppers advice during the festive period.
Bargain hunters are also advised to double check online retailers' credibility by reading customer reviews and paying securely either with credit cards or with payment platforms such as PayPal, Google or Apple Pay as they provide better protection.
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.”
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.“
Data from the NFIB showed that social media platforms are the most likely medium for shopping and auction fraud to take place.
Almost half of the scams reported to Action Fraud mentioned at least one social media platform.
Of the 19,744 reports of scams, 20% were related to the purchase of electronics, while 13% were related to the purchase of mobile phones.
The third most common fraud at 8% were those related to the purchase of selling vehicles.
It also revealed that those aged 19 to 25 are most likely to fall victim to online shopping scams with 47% of the victims being male and 41% female.
