How to avoid being scammed when shopping online over the Christmas period
Citizens Advice East Herts’ head of communications and fundraising Esther McWatters writes for the Indie
At the moment there are lots of adverts for upcoming sales. Black Friday and Cyber Monday ‘deals’ are jumping out at us from all directions.
Some of the prices seem too good to be true, so how can we be sure we’re really getting a good deal and not being scammed?
The busiest shopping time of the year for us is also a busy time for cyber criminals who use the spike in spending to disguise their scams as legitimate shopping sites.
Fraudsters are also taking advantage of AI advances to help them produce accurate and professional-looking content to trick victims into giving away their financial details.
There are always risks when buying online and scammers will try to tempt us consumers with special offers, fake reviews and sought-after items at rock bottom prices.
The good news is there are ways we can protect ourselves and shop safely. Here are Citizens Advice’s senior consumer expert Kate Hobson’s top five tips to make sure you don’t end up with more, or less, than you bargained for during this busy shopping season.
Make sure you don’t feel rushed. Scammers will often create a sense of urgency by claiming it’s a limited offer or price which encourages you to act without taking as much time to consider the purchase.
Know who you are buying from. If buying from a company you have not used before, check reviews and previous customers’ feedback. If in doubt, don’t buy.
Be wary of suspicious web links. These may direct you to fake (but realistic-looking) websites. It is better to type in the website address yourself.
Don’t share any one-time codes that you’re sent when shopping online. These codes are used to confirm that you’re the one making the purchase, so don’t share them with anyone.
Avoid paying anyone you don’t know by bank transfer. Paying by credit card for single items costing £100 and over gives you legal protection if the goods do not arrive, are faulty or do not match the description. Paying by credit or debit card for orders costing less than £100 also gives you protection using your card provider’s voluntary chargeback scheme.
If you’re worried that something you’ve seen online might be a scam, you can call the Citizens Advice consumer line on 0808 223 1133 or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer for more information.
If you need advice, the quickest way is to call our message line on 01920 459944, Monday to Thursday, or visit www.citizensadviceeastherts.org.uk for our advice options. If you don’t have a phone or email or need extra support, the Citizens Advice Contact Centre is at Bishop’s Stortford Methodist Church, in South Street, every Tuesday from 11am to 1pm.