Nine tips to avoid Black Friday online shopping scams as thousands lost to fraud

Shoppers in Wales have lost an estimated £958,200 to online shopping fraud this year as part of the £95.9m lost across the UK. A total of £4.9m was also reported between Black Friday and Christmas last year caused by online shopping scams.

Data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau on 49 police forces show which areas of the UK experience the most online shopping fraud cases around Black Friday.

The data shows £4.9M of estimated reported losses were recorded around Black Friday 2023. Of these North Wales Police received 61 reports totalling to £34,800 lost at an average of £570.49 per person and forces in South wales received 114 reports at an average loss of £860 - £98,100 in total.

According to the data, Thames Valley Police reported the largest estimated loss around Black Friday last year. Metropolitan Police Service came second, receiving 771 reports, with an average loss of £565.11 per person and the third largest overall loss was reported by West Midlands Police with an average loss of £1,081.01 per person with 237 reports.

With sales starting this week, Digital PR Agency provided these tips on staying safe while online shopping during Black Friday and the festive season.

• Only purchase from trusted, reputable suppliers

• When shopping, stick to trusted online retailers you’ve heard of or purchased from before. Stay cautious when you’re browsing on unfamiliar sites with deals that seem too good to be true.

• Look for obvious signs of a clone website

• Before you enter your payment or personal information, check for ‘https://’ in the URL and a green padlock in the URL bar, this means that the site is using encryption to protect your data. Also check for spelling and grammar mistakes on the page, alongside any graphics that may look like they don’t belong.

• If you receive an email claiming to come from an online retailer, be wary

• Avoid clicking on links from companies or email addresses you don’t recognise or haven’t signed up for. They may claim to offer exclusive Black Friday deals, however it may not be true. Don’t click on any links in the email, instead go directly to the website from your search engine and find the offer on their page, using the above guidance. You can also hover over the link to check whether it is the legitimate website, double checking whether it’s taking you to the correct website.

• Make big purchases using a credit card

• Try to use your credit card, rather than debit card or bank transfer, as they offer better fraud protection and it’s a lot easier to get your money back if you are scammed or the transaction goes wrong. Alternatively, you can use secure payment methods like PayPal or Apple Pay as they provide additional protection.

• Finally – if you find a bargain that looks too good to be true, it probably is, so be cautious.