Fraud experts are warning people that scammers will attempt to use the festive period to steal hard-earned money from the bank accounts of unsuspecting Brits.
While Christmas usually sees people loosen their purse strings while showering family and friends with gifts, it's also a prime time for cyber crooks to prey on the vulnerable.
And Jessica Hampson, who is the chairwoman of CEL Solicitors says that these heartless criminals are all set up to take advantage of generosity. She said: "Christmas is supposed to be a time for us to enjoy precious moments with family and friends, but scammers are trying their best to ruin it.
"Many of us feel more generous during the festive season, whether we’re splashing out on gifts or giving money to charities to help those less fortunate. But we all need to be on guard not to fall for one of the ever-increasingly sophisticated traps that do the rounds at this time of year.
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"From fake websites and delivery scams to fraudulent fundraisers and dodgy social media deals, it’s important to know what to look out for so you don’t a heartless criminal destroy your holiday season."
Wales Online reports that Capital One UK research uncovered that a whopping 1.9 million Brits said they were scammed during 2021's Christmas period. Meanwhile, a further three million had fears that they may have fell victim to certain ploys and tricks. The majority of scams take place online, as would-be victims choose presents to give to family and friends.
Mrs Hampson detailed that social media marketplaces are big offenders in terms of scams such as taking payment for an item that never comes, or being sent something completely different to what was promised. And as online shopping grows more and more popular, scammers come up with fake copies of legitimate high street stores to lure people into emptying their bank accounts.
These phishing scams make people think that they are buying from a genuine vendor, but they are being duped for little to no reward. And as a further result of online shopping, delivery scams are also rife across the UK. People are sent messages alerting them to a parcel is on their way, but they'll have to pay extra to have the transaction completed.
In reality, they give scammers information like bank details and home addresses which can be used against unsuspecting shoppers. Finally, in their lowest form, scammers will even impersonate charities to manipulate people into giving money to a 'good cause' - when in reality, they're pocketing everything people donate.
Mrs Hampson added: "Scammers are constantly coming up with new ways to trick victims and it’s important to be on high alert. It’s vital to be absolutely certain who you’re dealing with and that the products or services you buy online are genuine.
"Look out for clues such as spelling mistakes or demands for personal information that can be used against you. If you receive a text asking for money, go to the organisation’s website directly rather than clicking on a link."
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