How to shop safely online

Good news - the latest stats show that the volume of fraud and scams have actually reduced between 2022 and 2023. However, one area of considerable concern is Purchase Scams. This is when you pay for goods or services that don’t actually exist, and instances have risen by 28% to £85.9m in 2023*. With 26.7%* of retail sales being made online last year and fraudsters exploiting the ease and speed of shopping like this, it’s more important than ever to take a moment to Stop, Think & Check before hitting that ‘Buy Now’ button. Here are our tips and tricks on how to stay safe when shopping online during Black Friday and beyond.

If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

It’s an oldie, but a goodie for a reason. Unrealistically low prices, ‘Limited time only!’ offers, highly sought after tickets going cheap - these can all be red flags. Fraudsters often try to create a sense of urgency to rush you into making a decision and this can happen in many different ways online. Fraudsters can:

• Place adverts on social media with recognisable items and low prices. Clicking on any links could download malware to your device or you could end up paying for items that never arrive.
• Clone well-known retailer websites but add in bogus payment details. These can be hard to spot, so always go direct to the retailer’s website through a search engine.
• Pretend to sell gig or sporting event tickets on auction or 2nd hand sites. No matter how desperate you are, never pay by bank transfer until you’ve seen the item.

Always ask yourself ‘Could this be a scam?’ before buying and don’t pay anyone you don’t know by bank transfer.

Do your research

Before going ahead and making a purchase that pops up online, do some proper digging to make sure it’s a legitimate deal. Remember that everything can be professionally cloned. So, even if a website looks to be trustworthy, make sure you double check its reputability before clicking any links and be extra wary of clicking on links in unsolicited emails. If you’re unsure, it’s a good general rule to search for the website's reviews before you proceed with a purchase. And if you do decide to go ahead, you’re best to carry out the transaction by going to the site via a search engine. Remember to look for the padlock symbol in the address bar if you don’t see it, don’t enter your card details.

When making Black Friday or Christmas purchases online, be extra wary of texts about a missed delivery with a link to pay fees. These types of scams are extremely common at this time of year and if you’re expecting several deliveries, it can be easy to fall victim. Check the text is genuine by contacting the delivery company directly before providing any payment details.

It’s also worth being aware of Section 75 laws. These enable you to make a claim against your credit card provider when a company that you’ve paid using your card has let you down. Know your rights and contact the right people, especially if a sale turns out to be a scam!

Ways to Pay

When shopping online it’s always better to pay with a debit or credit card, as these provide better protection if you fall victim to a scam. Be suspicious of anyone asking for a direct bank transfer.

Sometimes you’ll be asked to enter a one-time passcode during the payment process. This is a security measure to ensure it’s really you making the payment. NEVER share this code with anyone over the phone a fraudster could use it to access your mobile banking on their phone.

Buying 2nd hand via social media platforms or auction sites is a great way to save money and increase the lifespan of items. You can find anything from caravans to gig tickets, so you need to be really careful before paying for anything as the seller and advert could be fake. As a general rule, you should never send money via bank transfer to someone you don’t know, especially for expensive items. Ask to see the item, ideally in person, before paying for it.

Need some help?

Head over to UK Finance’s national campaign ‘Take Five to stop fraud’ for further advice on how to spot a purchase scam - Purchase Fraud | Take Five to Stop Fraud.

Or if you think you’ve been a victim of a Purchase Scam, please contact us asap using the number on our secure website.

(Source: *UK Finance Fraud Report 2024. ** ONS: Retail Sales Index time series (DRSI))