Martin Lewis says emotional goodbye to GMB viewers
With Christmas just a few days away most people are starting to relax, get into the holiday mood and browse for last minute gifts. Many of us get online and use all kinds of services. We expect to get deliveries and so notifications multiply as all those gifts begin to wing their way towards us and we start to imagine the faces and feelings of the people we’ll be giving to.
But in the wings, scammers lurk, and every year they come up with new as well as old scams that work well for them, stealing money and personal data from thousands of people. For many people caught up in scams, Christmas will become a miserable memory as they come to terms with being tricked.
Here, we look at twelve common scams that pop up at Christmas, as well as other times of the year, and that are worth watching out for and keeping across.
Online shopping fraud
Often, through hype and stories in the media, a particular gift becomes the ‘must-have’ present for that year. In the past it’s been the latest PlayStation, or one year it was the Woody doll from Toy Story that no one could find for love nor money in the run up to Christmas.
The scam occurs when scammers present fake websites claiming to sell the essential gift. The demand for a particular gift is a gift itself to scammers. Customers can’t believe their luck – they’ve found the perfect present and the kids will be super-excited. They pay for the gift. It never arrives.
Always remember,…
