Every year scams surge ahead of the festive shopping season as more and more people go online to do their Christmas shopping. There are seven common scams to look out for this year. Not all scams are easy to spot but there are five things to check before making a purchase.
Fraud now accounts for a third (39 percent) of all crime according to figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) for 2021.
Sadly, Christmas is the time of year when people could be caught out as shopping has shifted online over the years.
There are typically at least seven scams doing the rounds at Christmas: The Look-Alike Website, the Gift-Giving Pyramid Scheme, the Fake Job Posting, the Grandparent Scam, the Gift Card Scam, the Puppy Scam and the Travel Phishing Scam.
However, experts at Scams.info have provided five tips on how to detect a scam and avoid being conned to try and keep people safe.
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A spokesperson said: “Often online scammers might put pressure on a buyer not to use a site’s secure payment methods, but instead pay through a bank transfer before the product has been seen or received.
“Coming across such a seller should always raise a red flag!
“Whatever the pre-loved item you’re trying to purchase, demand that the seller send you a recent photo of it.
“Ask them to set the product next to a piece of paper with your name written on it, for example. If they’re unwilling to do so, chances…
