Police chiefs urge public to follow Action Fraud’s advice over online shopping in run up to Christmas

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has urged the public to follow Action Fraud’s advice regarding online shopping in run up to Christmas

Over the next month it is likely many people will be shopping online, especially due to COVID-19, so the NPCC are asking people to be wary of online criminals.

Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime where people should report fraud if they have been scammed, defrauded or experienced cyber crime.

There are eight steps of advice the national reporting centre list including the likes of choosing where to shop, securing email accounts and turning on two-step authentication.

A spokesperson for the NPCC said: “Criminals will be aware that more people will be doing their Christmas shopping online this year due to COVID-19 and will be looking to exploit that.

“Follow Action Fraud for the latest advice and remember that old adage – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

The first tip Action Fraud lists is to choose where to shop

A spokesperson said: “If you’re making a purchase from a company or person you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first, and ask a friend or family member for advice before completing the purchase.

“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 – check their terms and conditions for exact details.”

The second is to keep devices up to date.

The spokesperson continued: “Make sure you install the latest software and app updates – these usually contain important security updates that can protect you against fraud and identity theft.

“Information can easily be found about how to install these updates from Apple, Microsoft and Google – even better, just turn on automatic updates so your device will update itself in future.”

Thirdly, they say people should secure their email account.

“Secure your important accounts with a good password – especially your email,” said the spokesperson.

“Cyber criminals want to hack into your email account.

“They are looking for valuable information like bank details and the logins for your other online accounts, but they’ll also make use of things like your address or date of birth when trying to crack your passwords.

“So, you should have a strong password for your email – one that you don’t re-use anywhere else as this way, even if an attacker manages to access your email, they won’t also be able to log into your online bank account.”

The fourth tip is to ‘take care’ with links in emails and texts

The spokesperson said: “Some of the emails or texts you receive about amazing offers may contain links to fake websites, designed to steal your money and personal details.

“Not all links are bad, but if you are unsure then don’t use the link, go separately to the website.”

For number five they suggest two-step authentication.

The spokesperson added: “To give any online account additional protection, where possible, you should turn on two-factor authentication (2FA).

“2FA is a way for the service you’re using to double check that you really are the person you claim to be when logging in.”

Tip six is to get a password manager.

“If you have lots of accounts, the temptation to re-use passwords and usernames is pretty strong,” the spokesperson said.

“A good way to get around this is to use a password manager.

“These systems remember all your login details for you, so you can choose good passwords for each of your online accounts, without worrying about losing or forgetting them.

“The only password you’ll need is the one for the password manager application itself.”

For the penultimate tip they say to not give away too much information.

The spokesperson said: “You shouldn’t need to give out your mother’s maiden name, or the name of your primary school, in order to buy something.

“There’s some obvious details that an online store will need, such as your address and your bank details, but be cautious if they ask for details that are not required for your purchase.

“Only fill in the mandatory details of forms  when making a purchase. These are usually marked with an asterisk.

“If you can avoid it, don’t create an account on a new site unless you’re going to use that site a lot in the future – you can usually checkout as a guest to make your purchase.”

Finally, the spokesperson ended with saying: “We all make mistakes and these days the scams can be incredibly convincing.

“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 – then 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, if you can – contact your bank immediately about anything that you don’t recognise, even small amounts.”