Urgent warning issued to shoppers as police record rise in online fraud

Police have issued an urgent warning to shoppers following a surge in online fraud cases.

Officers say they have seen an increase in the number of people being tricked into paying for goods and services that do not exist. More than 100 people are reported to have fallen victim to online shopping fraud this week alone, with the average loss per victim being £110.

The average age of those affected is between 30 and 35. The losses impacted users of a number of second-hand shopping pages and sites on Facebook, Vinted, eBay and Gumtree.

Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features.

Victims are lured by the promise of a significant price drop on recommended retail price items or rare and hard to find goods that can only be found on one online shop, police have warned.

The items are often advertised via social media, and criminals typically ask for money to be sent directly from victims' accounts to another account through a bank transfer. While most online sellers are legitimate, officers say fraudsters use online shopping as it can easily hide their identity.

Officers from GMP’s Economic Crime Unit have now offered a number of tips to shoppers to ensure they do not fall foul to dodgy online deals.

Sergeant Stacey Shannon, the unit's prevention and protection lead, said: “Our team continues to work hard to prevent fraud in order to keep our community safe.

“We are targeting criminals, but, we need your help. We need the public to help us to help you by arming yourself with the prevention advice below to keep yourself and your money safe from criminals.”

Top tips to keeping safe from online shopping scams

Can you spot the signs of online fraud?

You’ve bought goods from