Don’t fall victim to scammers this Christmas

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Don’t fall victim to scammers this Christmas

• Victims reported losing over £16 million in total, 45% more than the year before
• 15,423 people reported being a victim of shopping fraud
• Online auction fraud accounted for 65% of reports

       (Source: Action Fraud, November 2017)

With Christmas just around the corner, more and more people are turning to the internet in search of a good deal. You may find a cracking bargain but it’s really important to check that the website you’re using is legitimate, particularly if it’s claiming you’ll save 75% off the retail price. So beware of the fake online stores that are popping up and stay safe by using our top tips:

Check

Check that a promotional email is legitimate before opening any links or downloading an attachment. If the email address doesn’t look right or the spelling or image quality is poor, then it’s probably a scam.

Research

Research any website that you haven’t used before by reading online reviews and searching for the shop on social media. This will help you to identify whether anyone else has had a bad experience.  

Think

Always pay online through a secure network instead of public wifi to help prevent criminals from seeing your card details. If money’s been taken from your account, or there are withdrawals or purchases on your bank statement that you don’t remember making contact your bank immediately.

If you’re a TalkTalk customer then you can take advantage of HomeSafe, which filters your home internet connection to keep your family safe from suspicious websites and inappropriate content. We also developed SuperSafe Boost to protect your computers, tablets and mobiles from threats such as viruses by proactively scanning all files, applications, emails and downloads for threat detection.

Remember, if you see something dodgy online that looks like a scam then report it to Action Fraud here or call 0300 123 2040.