Suffolk Trading Standards is urging shoppers to take care when hunting for online bargains as the countdown starts for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
This year the two big discount days which herald the start of the Christmas shopping period take place on Friday November 29 and Monday December 2.
However, it is also a time when online scammers will be looking to prey on unsuspecting shoppers hoping to bag a bargain.
Last Christmas people in the UK were scammed out of more than £11.5m, figures show, almost £1m more than in the same period in 2022.
Fake clothing or high-end tech listings on social media were among the ploys used to dupe people.
Suffolk Trading Standards has now issued guidelines for shoppers:
Buy from traders you know and trust - When it comes to shopping online, it's always safest to stick to familiar shops and brands that you know you can trust
Do some digging - There are some stores online that aren’t mainstream brands but are still trustworthy places to shop. If you must shop with an unknown trader, make sure you research them first. Usually, the best thing to do is look for reviews of the website and a reliable way to contact the site owner that isn’t just email in the event your delivery goes wrong. The most obvious things to look out for that signal a scam website are website quality and copy/editorial quality
Pay securely - Always use a secure form of payment. This means opt for a credit card, a debit card, or even PayPal over any direct money transfers. Credit card is probably the most secure option in terms of shopper rights as you can dispute charges made if your item never arrives or dispute any suspicious charges generally
Don't click on strange links - Whether you’re on your laptop, your phone, or whether the link appears in your email inbox or pops up on your Facebook News Feed, don’t click any strange or unfamiliar ad links
Last year in the UK £85.9 million was lost to purchase fraud cases. However, the actual figure is believed to be considerably higher, as many purchase frauds go unreported by their victims.
More than 16,000 reports of online shopping fraud were recorded between November 2023 and January 2024, with each victim losing £695 on average.
Black Friday originally started in America but has grown in popularity in the UK in recent years.
It began as a single day of discounts, but with promotions in stores and online now running for several weeks it has become the biggest shopping event of the year during which billions of pounds are spent.
Cyber Monday also began in America, originally offering better deals on tech goods online than in stores, and is always the first Monday after Black Friday.
Graham Crisp, Head of Suffolk Trading Standards, said: “Most people like a bargain and online scammers are all too happy to take advantage of that.
“We would urge people to follow our guidelines so that they know what they are looking at online and whether it might be suspicious.”
Councillor Steve Wiles, Suffolk County Council Cabinet member for Public Protection, said: “I would strongly recommend people to follow the advice from Suffolk Trading Standards.
“The saying ‘If it looks too good to be true it probably is’ certainly applies when it comes to shopping online and I would urge people to enjoy bargain hunting but do so wisely.”
