Black Friday shoppers warned: 'beware of scams'

Bargain-hunters are being warned to be on their guard over the next couple of weeks, as scammers gear up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

This year's Black Friday, November 27, is expected to be the UK's biggest-ever shopping day, with Brits spending over £1 billion between them.%VIRTUAL-ArticleSidebar-black-friday%

But according to deals site Voucherbox.co.uk, as much as £500,000 of that could go straight into the hands of criminals.

At this time of year, there are plenty of genuine special offers to be had. However, scammers can easily capitalise on this by setting up fake websites selling products, usually the latest must-have gadgets, at seriously knock-down prices.

Needless to say, the goods never turn up - but the customer's money disappears.

So how can you spot a fake website?

First, take a good general look. These sites are often thrown together in a hurry, and can feature poor spelling and grammar, along with low-quality images - not what you'd expect from a high-end retailer. As for prices, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

And check over the website's address, or URL, comparing it with the real thing.

Never click on a URL in an email unless you know who sent it to you and that it's safe. Last year, for example, over 20,000 spam emails did the rounds purporting to link to Amazon Black Friday gift cards.
People clicking on the link were them encouraged to fill in a survey giving away personal data - including bank details.

If you do buy something online, use a credit card rather than a debit card, as you'll have more protection if things go wrong. Make sure the URL of the payment page begins with HTTPS, rather than HTTP, and shows a little icon of a padlock - this guarantees that the communication is encrypted, and your financial information safe.

Ideally, the site will use a verification system such as Verified by Visa or a secure payment system like PayPal.

Make sure you have up-to-date security software, and turn your browser's phishing and malware protection filters on. And, finally, be careful where you do your shopping, as public wifi zones such as those in cafes are notoriously easy to hack.

And if despite taking all these precautions you think you have fallen victim to a scam, report it to Action Fraud here.