Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the run-up to Christmas are the busiest shopping weeks of the year, and the busiest for scammers too. According to Action Fraud, victims of festive online shopping fraud lose more than £1,000 on average, with technology, clothing and gift cards among the most common targets.
Here’s how to spot the scams and keep your money safe.
The most common Christmas scams
1. Fake online shops
Professional-looking websites selling popular gadgets, designer clothes or toys at huge discounts. You pay, and nothing arrives, or you get a cheap fake. Many appear just before Christmas and vanish soon after.
2. “Missed delivery” texts and emails
“Your parcel couldn’t be delivered. Pay £1.45 to rearrange.” With so many parcels arriving, these are very convincing. The link leads to a fake site that steals your card details.
3. Social media and marketplace sellers
Adverts on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or sellers on marketplace sites, offering sought-after items. Often they ask for bank transfer payment, which is very hard to get back.
4. Gift card scams
Fake “free gift card” giveaways, or sellers insisting on payment by gift card. No genuine business asks to be paid in gift cards.
5. Fake charity appeals
Scammers exploit Christmas generosity with fake charity websites and collection messages.
The red flags
- Prices that are too good to be true. They usually are.
- Payment by bank transfer only. It offers you almost no protection.
- A brand-new website with no reviews, or reviews only on the site itself.
- Countdown timers and “only 2 left!” pressure.
- Spelling mistakes, odd web addresses (like amaz0n-deals.shop), or no contact details or UK address.
- Urgent messages asking you to click a link and pay.
How to shop safely
- Pay by credit card or PayPal. You get much stronger protection than with a debit card or bank transfer.
- Type the web address yourself, or use the retailer’s official app, instead of clicking links in emails, texts or ads.
- Check reviews elsewhere, on Trustpilot or by searching “[shop name] scam”.
- Turn on 2-step verification for your email, Amazon, PayPal and bank.
- Use strong, unique passwords, or passkeys where offered.
- Keep records of orders, confirmation emails and receipts.
Delivery texts: how to check safely
Couriers rarely ask you to pay to redeliver a parcel. If you get a message:
- Don’t click the link.
- Check the order in the retailer’s app or website, or the courier’s official app.
- Forward scam texts to 7726 (free), and report scam emails to re****@**********ov.uk.
💡 Tip: buying something that costs more than £100 (and up to £30,000) on a credit card gives you Section 75 protection. The card company is jointly responsible if the item never arrives or isn’t as described.
If you’ve been scammed
- Call your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card.
- Report it to Action Fraud online or on 0300 123 2040.
- Change passwords if you entered them on a fake site.
- Watch out for follow-up scams, such as fake “fraud recovery” services.
Wrapping up
Enjoy the Christmas bargains, but pay by credit card, type web addresses yourself and never pay to redeliver a parcel via a text link. If a deal looks too good to be true, it almost certainly is.
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Sources: Action Fraud: Festive shoppers urged to be Cyber Aware · Computer Weekly: UK consumers losing more than ever to holiday scams · NCSC: Cyber Aware
