A MAJOR bank has issued an urgent warning to customers who face losing over £600 to scammers.
Lloyds Bank has told customers to look out for the big warning signs before you are conned out of money when online shopping.
The major high street bank said the average amount people lose to these types of scams is £642.
It gave six top tips for avoiding falling prey to fraudsters:
- Always use your debit or credit card when you shop online
- Low prices and great deals can hide scams so see if you can find them elsewhere
- Fraudsters use social media to post scam offers
- Make sure a seller or website is genuine
- Ask questions before you buy. If a seller can't give any details about an item or tries to hurry you into paying, it’s a sign of a scam
- Never click on links in messages, even if you think you know the sender and visit the genuine website
Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds, said: “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.
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“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."
It comes after The Sun spoke to a banking expert from TSB on the five easiest Black Friday fraud mistakes you can make.
How can you spot scams?
Online shopping has revolutionised the way consumers get hold of their products - but it comes with its own separate risks, including scammers conning people out of money.
Luckily, there are tips out there on what you can do to avoid falling prey to fraudsters.
The Metropolitan Police's website has advice on what you can do to protect yourself.
It's worth researching beforehand what a fair and competitive price is for similar goods in the same condition.
If the offer sounds too good to be true, it likely is.
Fraudsters often use stock images or other people's photos on multiple adverts or websites too.
You can check if an image appears anywhere else online through websites like TinEye or reverse.photos.
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Check the seller or buyer's review history and feedback from other reviewers.
But be aware of accounts that may have been set up recently with lots of favourable feedback, as this could indicate fake reviews.
Make sure you are making payments on a "secure site".
You can check if a link or site is secure in two ways:
- there should be a padlock symbol in the browser window where you can see the site address/URL when you log in or register
- the web address should begin with "https://" (the "s" stands for secure)
What can you do if you have been scammed?
Citizens Advice has three top tips on what you should do if you've been scammed:
- protect yourself from further risks
- check if you can get your money back
- report the scam
If you've transferred money to the scammer in the last 24 hours you should tell the police immediately by calling 101.
If you feel threatened or in danger call 999.
If you've lost money because of a scam, you might be able to get it back. But the process of how you do this is different depending on how you made the payment.
If you paid by card or PayPal, your card provider can ask the seller's bank to refund the money.
Plus, if you paid by credit card and the item cost more than £100 but less than £30,000 you might be able to claim the money back under the Consumer Credit Act.
This is known as a Section 75 claim.
If you've paid by bank transfer or direct debit contact your bank immediately to let them know what has happened and ask to get a refund.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk