Bargain hunters warned of Black Friday scams

Fraudulent websites and card harvesting traps can mean that a purchase ends up costing more than expected.

Internet shoppers are being warned in advance of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, two of the year’s busiest online shopping days.

Consumer research suggests people are more likely to take a risk if they are offered a bargain, prompting cyber crime specialists at South Yorkshire Police to highlight potential problems and guide internet shoppers away from criminal websites.

Fraud officers with South Yorkshire Police offered the following tips to avoid the scammers as part of the Take Five campaign to protect consumers:

* Before entering payment details into a webpage, ensure that it’s using a secure connection which will be indicated by a small padlock symbol in the address bar;

* The web address of the payment page should begin with https, as the s stands for secure;.

* When making a card payment online, you will be asked for the three digit security (CW) number on the back of your card, but you should never be asked for your card’s PIN or internet banking passwords in full;

* Use a credit card when buying something online that costs between £100 to £30,000 as they offer increased consumer protection over debit cards;

* If unfamiliar with a site, check it out by looking for ratings and reviews;

* Always ensure your computer has the latest anti-virus software.

Chief Insp Stephen Leach said: “Some people will take risks if they think they are bagging a bargain, while others might be less familiar with the safeguards that can keep their money safe online.

“With internet traffic set to peak in the days and weeks ahead, now is a perfect time to remind shoppers about the perils of using unfamiliar websites, clicking unsolicited email links and social media click-throughs.

“Unscrupulous websites are looking to harvest your card or bank account details but people can guard against scammers by following the advice of the Take Five campaign.”

Take Five is a fraud prevention partnership between business, the police and third sector organisations.