The latest Stop! Think Fraud campaign provides practical advice to help individuals stay secure online
Online shoppers looking for savings over the festive period are being urged to stay alert to potential scams and secure their accounts ahead of the Black Friday sales.
Monday marked the launch of the nationwide Stop! Think Fraud campaign which provides trusted, practical guidance to help individuals and small businesses protect themselves from cyber criminals at a time when many people will be looking for deals online.
Scammers will often deploy underhand tactics, claiming that offers are only available for a limited time or that products are scarce, to manipulate people into acting quickly, parting with money or personal information.
Some £11.8m was lost to online shopping fraud over last year’s festive shopping season (from 1 November 2024 to 31 January 2025), according to data from the City of London Police, the operational lead for tackling fraud nationally.
Ahead of Black Friday, online shoppers are being encouraged to follow the Stop! Think Fraud advice from the Home Office and the National Cyber Security Centre – a part of GCHQ – to help prevent themselves falling victim:
- Check the shop is legitimate: check reviews on trusted websites before you buy.
- Secure your important online accounts: turn on 2-step verification (2SV) for all your important accounts to instantly toughen up your online security, even if your password has been compromised. It creates an extra layer of security making it harder for fraudsters to access your information.
- Check out and pay securely: check out ‘as a guest’ if you can, don’t allow the website to store your bank/card details. Never pay by direct bank transfer and use a credit card (if you have one). If you use payment services such as PayPal, Apply Pay or Google Pay, check what cover they provide.
- Beware of delivery scams: if you receive a message or a phone call about a delivery, stop and think if the request is genuine. Don’t click links in unexpected messages. Check a request is genuine by contacting the organisation directly.
Individuals are encouraged to report suspicious emails, text messages or fake shop websites to the NCSC, which works with partners to analyse, investigate and take down malicious content.
For more advice on common signs of scams and how to report them, visit the Stop! Think Fraud website.