Release date: December 26, 2021
Buyers warn of the risks involved in online shopping
The public is urged by the government to protect themselves from the threat of online scammers during Boxing Day sales after a year of record cyberattacks and online fraud.
Reports to Action Fraud, the national fraud and cybercrime reporting agency, show that nearly 100,000 people in the UK have fallen victim to online shopping scams in the past 13 months, Action for the Public to Take Five Simple Steps to Help Themselves and Theirs Protect families from scammers.
Traditionally, Boxing Day is one of the busiest days on the high street for retailers, but in recent years more and more people have been shopping online per shopper.
The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) encourages people to shop online securely by following five actionable steps:
Keep accounts secure – Strong and separate passwords should be used for major online accounts, including email, bank or payment accounts (such as PayPal). The NCSC recommends using three random words to create a password. Enabling two-step verification can provide additional protection.
Watch out for emails, text messages, or websites that look too good to be true or are suspicious – Many scammers set up fake messages to steal financial and personal information. Members of the public can report suspicious messages to the NCSC by texting to 7726 and emailing report@phishing.gov.uk.
Choose online retailers carefully – Before buying, do your research on stores to make sure they are legit through trusted consumer websites. Some emails or texts about great deals may contain links to fake websites. If you’re not sure, don’t use the link.
If possible, use a credit card for online payments – Most major credit card providers protect online purchases and are required to reimburse individuals in certain circumstances.
Just provide enough details to complete a purchase – When shopping online, only enter mandatory information on a website (often marked with an asterisk).
Duchy of Lancaster Chancellor and Cybercrime Minister Steve Barclay said: “With a record number of cyberattacks this year, it is critical that we all take some steps to protect ourselves and our families from fraudsters, especially when shopping online Boxing Day sales in the US that have become a firm favorite with scammers.
“Over the past year government and police actions have resulted in numerous cyber fraud convictions, and we should all do our part to eradicate this horrific crime that can ruin life.”
Paul Maddinson, Director of National Resilience and Strategy at NCSC said, “Scammers will use every opportunity to try to get the public and companies to part ways with their money, so it is really important that we all know how we can protect ourselves. “
While scams can be persuasive, there are practical steps you can take to keep you from falling victim to cybercrime. You can find all of these on the NCSC website.
This online fraud warning comes with growing concerns about the vulnerability of people’s personal technology. Hackers attack individuals’ applications and email accounts, gain access to personal and financial information, and put individuals at significant risk.
As people get new laptops and smartphones over Christmas, the risks increase. The government also encourages individuals to ensure that all new devices are protected to keep personal and financial information safe from hackers.
However, it is easy to avoid these dangers by adopting two key cyber-aware behaviors:
- Enable two-step verification
- Use three random words to keep your email accounts secure
For more information on online security, please visit www.cyberaware.gov.uk
