Staffordshire Trading Standards has issued advice to help people in Stone avoid online scams when they’re looking for bargains on Black Friday.
Black Friday typically sees more attempted online shopping scams than any other day of the festive shopping period.
You can take a few simple steps to reduce the chances of falling victims to scams and fraudsters. Sales of counterfeit cloths and electrical items online have increased in recent years.
Scam websites are often difficult to tell from genuine ones but there are some tell-tale signs people can look out for. Be aware that websites sometimes use a domain name that falsely suggests they are UK-based.
You should be wary if the site:
[box type=”shadow” ]Offers are too good to be true, for example the price of an item is markedly lower than the market rate
Has no information about the identity of the person operating the business such as the proprietor’s name or the company’s full name
Has no geographic address for the business, preventing people from locating the business in the event of a dispute
Makes no mention of any cancellation rights
Has unfair or restrictive terms and conditions which limits people’s legal rights
Only accepts payments via money transfer services such as MoneyGram and/or Western Union[/box]
Tomorrow will be an extremely busy day for shopping, online and in-store, and this will continue into the New Year,” said Staffordshire County Council’s trading standards leader Gill Heath. “Unfortunately, internet shoppers are targeted by criminals and that’s why it is important people follow some simple safety tips while shopping. We want people to be able to shop with confidence online, stay safe, and perhaps think about buying a gift from one of our local businesses.”
Naked Security also offers these tips:
[box type=”shadow” ]If it sounds too good to be true, it IS too good to be true. There is no such thing as a free iPhone 6!
Never fill in purchase details on a website that doesn’t use a secure (encrypted) connection. Don’t be fooled by padlock images in the webpage itself: look for the padlock in your browser’s address bar
Don’t click on links in unsolicited emails. Those links could land you on a phishing website or a website that will infect you with malware via what’s known as a drive-by download Always type in the website address, but be careful of mistyped addresses where cybercrooks may be squatting. Bookmark the sites you typically visit for shopping, banking, etc
Watch out for sites that ask for way too much information, such as your card PIN – which is not used online – or National Insurance number. And never share your passwords. IF IN DOUBT, GIVE NOTHING OUT
Scrutinize your bank statements. Check your bank account transactions regularly for signs of fraud, particularly after making purchases online. If you discover payments that you can’t identify, notify your bank immediately[/box]
[box type=”info” ]Have concerns about shopping online? Visit Citizens Advice on www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Advice can also be found at the online shopping assistant www.theshoppingassistant.com[/box]
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