North Wales Police issue warning over rise in online shopping scams
A warning has been issued to residents across North Wales following a rise in reports of scams surrounding online shopping.
North Wales Police’s Cyber Crime Team said there has been a “sharp rise” in criminals gaining unauthorised access to users’ online retail accounts.
The force said that recent reports have revealed a significant increase in cases involving popular retailers, in particular, Argos.
Offenders have targeted customer accounts to purchase high-value goods by using login details that have been obtained from previous data breaches.
Once inside, the criminals place orders, often using click and collect, to pick items up in store. In some cases, they may even use different payment details to complete the purchase.
The North Wales Police Cyber Crime Team said using the same password across multiple sites makes it easier for criminals to access your account.
A spokesperson for the force said that online shoppers should watch out for unrecognised orders or account activity, password reset emails they didn’t make and account changes.
The spokesperson said: “North Wales Police Cyber Crime Team is urging residents to stay vigilant following a sharp rise in criminals gaining unauthorised access to online retail accounts.
“Recent reports show a significant increase in cases involving popular retailers, particularly Argos, where offenders are targeting customer accounts to purchase high-value goods.
“Criminals are using login details obtained from previous data breaches. If you reuse the same password across multiple sites, it becomes much easier for them to access your accounts.
“Once inside, they place orders—often using ‘click and collect’—and pick up items in-store. In some cases, they may even use different payment details to complete the purchase.”
To help protect themselves, shoppers are being urged to change passwords if they notice suspicious activity, use strong and unique passwords made up of three random words, enable two-step verification wherever possible and avoid saving payment details on retail websites.
If you have been a victim of fraud or think you may have been, you can report it to Report Fraud by visiting the website or by calling 0300 123 2040.
Check live fuel prices near you before you set off.
Spotted something? Got a story? Email news (@) deeside.com
NEW: Add Deeside.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Latest News
