The public must be vigilant in protecting themselves from the
threat of online scammers during the Boxing Day sales, the
Government has urged today (26 December) after a year which saw a
record number of cyber attacks and online scams.
Reports to Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud
and cyber crime, reveal that almost 100,000 people in the UK have
fallen victim to online shopping fraud in the past 13 months –
with over £60 million being reported lost, leading to this call
to action for the public to take five steps to protect themselves
and their families from fraudsters.
Traditionally, Boxing Day marks one of the busiest days on the
high street for retailers, however in recent years more people
have been shopping online - with Barclaycard estimating £2.7
billion was spent online by UK shoppers on Boxing Day 2020, an
average of £162 per shopper.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is encouraging people
to shop online securely by following five actionable steps:
-
Keeping accounts secure - strong and separate passwords
should be used for the most important online accounts,
including email, banking or payment accounts (such as
PayPal). The NCSC recommends using three random words to
create a password. Turning on two-step verification can add
an extra layer of protection.
-
Be aware of emails, text messages or websites that look too
good to be true or suspicious - many scammers set up fake
messages designed to steal financial and personal
information. Members of the public can report
suspicious messages to the NCSC via text to 7726 and email to
report@phishing.gov.uk.
-
Choose online retailers carefully - research stores before
buying to confirm they are legitimate through trustworthy
consumer websites. Some emails or texts about amazing offers
may contain links to fake websites. If unsure, don't use the
link.
-
Use a credit card for online payments if possible - most
major credit card providers protect online purchases, and are
obliged to refund individuals in certain circumstances.
-
Only provide enough details to complete a purchase - only
fill in the mandatory details on a website when shopping
online (often marked with an asterisk).
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for Cyber Crime
said:
“With a record number of cyber attacks this year, it is crucial
we all take some steps to keep ourselves and our families safe
from scammers while shopping online, particularly in the Boxing
Day sales which have become a firm favourite for fraudsters.
“In the past year, government and police action has seen numerous
convictions on cyber fraud, and we should all play our part to
stamp out this terrible crime that can ruin lives.
Paul Maddinson, Director of National Resilience and Strategy at
the NCSC said:
“Scammers will use any opportunity to try and trick the public
and businesses into parting with their money so it’s really
important that we all know how to protect ourselves.
“Whilst scams can be convincing, there are practical steps you
can take to avoid falling victim to cyber crime which can all be
found on the NCSC’s website.”
This warning against online scams comes alongside growing concern
about the vulnerability of people’s personal technology. Hackers
are targeting individuals’ applications and email accounts,
gaining access to personal and financial information and exposing
individuals to considerable risk.
As people receive new laptops and smartphones over Christmas, the
risks are magnified. The government is also encouraging
individuals to ensure that any new devices are protected to keep
personal and financial information secure from hackers.However,
these dangers are easily avoidable by adopting two key Cyber
Aware behaviours:
For further guidance on how to stay secure online, visit www.cyberaware.gov.uk
