Community Alert from Croydon Trading Standards

CROYDON TRADING STANDARDS 

COMMUNITY ALERT 

Ho Ho Ho – have a very wary Christmas 

Christmas is again around the corner and just as certain are the cybercriminals looking to take advantage of the festive period. 

The festive season is the time of year consumers are most likely to be scammed and it’s even more important that people think carefully before they click on those websites offering goods which seem to be good to be true – surprise, they invariably are! 

Scammers often set up fake websites that appear to be legitimate online stores or mimic well-known brands. Shoppers who purchase from these sites end up with either counterfeit items, severely delayed shipments or no products at all.  

Some scammers are more proactive and send emails or texts urging users to click on links for “exclusive deals,” account updates or shipping confirmations. These links often lead to fake login pages designed to steal account credentials or install malware on devices. Look up deals directly on a brand’s official website rather than clicking on links. 

Track your packages through official retailer sites or directly with delivery companies such as Royal Mail, DPD or UPS by manually entering the tracking number. Be wary of any messages that request sensitive information or payment to resolve a delivery issue.  

The methods of fraud remain the same, but sometimes with a festive twist.  

Fraudsters may pose as friends or family members and request gift cards for popular stores as a quick and easy present solution. They ask for the card numbers and pins, gaining access to the victim’s money. 

If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you have one, as most major credit card providers insure online purchases. Some other payment methods do provide good consumer protection, but they aren't obliged to provide the same protection as a credit card provider.  

If you think you may have been taken in by a bogus website, you should first take a note of the website's address, then close down your internet browser. Report the details to Action Fraud and contact your bank to seek advice. 

Whether you've been a victim of fraud will depend on how much information you’ve provided to the website. So keep an eye on bank transactions and contact your bank immediately about any that you don’t recognise -  even small amounts. 

Further advice can be obtained by emailing   

trading.standards@croydon.gov.uk    

To report a suspected crime, or if you have fallen victim to fraud or cyber-crime, contact Action Fraud via its website or by calling 0300 123 2040