With prices of some trainers running into hundreds of pounds and high-profile ‘sneakerheads’ such as Kylie Jenner and Mark Wahlberg sporting their latest purchases online, trainers are big business. Now, scammers are cashing in on the clamour for the latest models, with reports of scams doubling this year.
Lloyds Bank says the volume of these reports made by customers has soared by 112% this year so far compared with a year earlier, with victims losing £152 on average. The figures are based on analysis of purchase scams reported by Lloyds Banking Group customers between January 2022 and April 2022, with comparisons made with data from the same period last year.
Purchase scams involve people being tricked into transferring money for goods or services, often advertised online or via social media, that may not exist or are shoddy or fake. Trainers and shoe scams are the most commonly reported type of purchase scam that Lloyds says it is seeing.
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While fraudsters will advertise any brand they think might snare an unsuspecting victim, Lloyds said analysis of reported cases showed that Nike was among the popular brands whose merchandise scammers may falsely claim to be selling. Meanwhile, tickets scams have also exploded this year, as people are keen to attend events following the easing of Covid-19-related restrictions.
The number of purchase scams involving electrical goods is also up by…
