How to stay #ScamAware this Christmas

What are some common scams around Christmas time?

Fake websites

Look-a-like websites can crop up frequently during this time of year when consumers are looking for the best deals possible, or looking for products that are frequently sold out. Always ensure that the websites you are browsing and purchasing products from are legitimate websites by spending a few minutes checking it – start by finding its terms and conditions and checking that the company’s address has a street name, not just a post office box. You can also check that the URL bar contains ‘https’ and a padlock symbol. Spelling errors on websites can often indicate the site is a fake.

 

Delivery text scams

Delivery text scams have become much more prevalent over the past year. Scammers often pose as delivery companies such as Royal Mail, DHL, Evri, etc., and send you messages saying you have an unpaid shipping fee. Never click the links in these texts and if you have indeed ordered a parcel recently, always go to your delivery company’s legitimate website to check the status of your parcel.


Fake messages from family members

Another type of scam floating around currently is scammers sending out texts pretending to be family members or friends asking for money, playing on the possible close relationship. The bank details they give will often not match those of your family member or friend they are impersonating, so always be vigilant that you are talking to who you think you are talking to. 


Too good to be true offers

There will be some good offers in the run up to Christmas, but you should be wary of any offers that seem too good to be true, as these are likely scams. These scams are often found on social media websites, and will often trick you into inputting your bank and personal details, so you should be wary of anything that does seem too good to be true. You should especially be suspicious if you’ve been asked to pay for goods via bank transfers.


If you want to stay up to date on different scams that are out there currently, you can sign up to the Trading Standards email alert.

How do I stay wary of scams and protect myself?

There are things you can keep in mind to stay vigilant about scams:

How do I report a scam?

You should never feel ashamed about falling for a scam. The majority of scams are very convincing and anyone can fall for them, which is why it is important to be aware of them, and report them when you see them. 

There are a number of different ways to report scams. You can report scams to us using our online form, or contacting our consumer helpline. We pass the information you provide over to Trading Standards who will gather information about different scams so they can take legal action against scammers.

You should also report scams to other organisations, as this increases the chance of scammers being caught and stopped. You should report all types of scams to Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud. Action Fraud can get the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau to investigate scams. They'll also give you a crime reference number, which can be helpful if you need to tell your bank you've been scammed.

Scam emails can be forwarded to report@phishing.gov.uk, and any scams seen online can be reported to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).


If you need further help or advice, you can contact our Adviceline service on 0808 278 7800, or visit citizensadvicemanchester.org.uk to find out more ways you can access our advice.

Danny Brown