Lloyds Bank issues urgent warning as customers lose £642 in growing scam | Personal Finance | Finance

Quoting figures from the 2021 UK Finance Fraud Report, the banking said the average amount people lose to online shopping scams is £642. However, those aged between 55 and 64 lost more than double that, around £1,000 on average.

Britons are warned to look out for certain signs as they shop online.

As scams are “changing every week,” Britons are encouraged to check their website to learn how they can protect themselves.

It comes after analysis showed the number of online shopping scams increased by 20 percent in December last year.

Many people will want to find amazing deals online, but even a bargain costs money.

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When prices on a site are a lot lower than other sellers, Lloyds states “it could be a scam”.

Fraudsters can send a text or email with a link to a great deal. This may take people to a fake site or infect their device with a virus.

If someone gets a message like this, they should not use the link.

Britons can use a search engine or their browser to try to find the deal to make sure it’s real.

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Last month, Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds Bank, told the ECHO: “Online shopping scams come in all shapes and sizes, but the vast majority start with items advertised on social media, where it’s too easy for fraudsters to use fake profiles and advertise goods that simply don’t exist.

“The safest way to pay for things online is always by debit or credit card, and buy from a trusted retailer. Remember that if a deal looks too good to be true, it usually is.”

If individuals have either been a victim of a scam or spot a suspicious website, they can report this in several ways.

Fraud and cyber crime can be reported to Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud.

People can can also report internet scams and phishing to [email protected].

Suspicious websites can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).