Online Shopping Scams

Why you need to be careful

Shopping online is quick easy and often cheaper than going to the shops. But not everything online is real. Some websites sellers and adverts are set up just to trick people. They might sell items that do not exist or take your money and send nothing at all.

Between November 2023 and January 2024 more than eleven and a half million pounds was lost in the UK to online shopping scams. Many of these scams targeted people looking for bargains. Teenagers are often at risk because they use apps social media or online marketplaces to shop.

How online shopping scams work

Scammers try to grab your attention with things like:

• Fake websites that look like real shops.
• Social media adverts offering massive discounts.
• Listings with fake reviews or messages that say things like only one left.
• Warnings that the deal ends soon so you need to buy quickly.

These tricks are designed to make you click fast without thinking.

What to do before buying anything online

Take a moment and think. If something seems too good to be true it probably is.

Search for reviews. Look up the seller or website with words like scam or reviews.

Check the returns policy and contact info. A real shop will usually tell you how to get in touch.

Look at the website address. Fake ones often have odd spellings like amaz0n.co instead of amazon.co.uk.

Use a safe way to pay. Credit cards or trusted services like PayPal offer some protection.

Avoid sending money by bank transfer gift cards or cryptocurrency. These are harder to trace and it is much more difficult to get your money back.

Howto Shop Safely

• Check the website address (URL & SSL lock) - Make sure the site starts with https:// and has a padlock icon. Watch out for odd spellings or stray symbols in the name.
• Read reviews & search for complaints - Use independent sources — not just the reviews on that site.Search “[SiteName] scam” and see what others say.
• Use secure payment methods - Pay by credit card, PayPal, or with buyer protection. Avoid sending money via bank transfer, gift cards, or crypto to strangers.
• Don’t trust “too good to be true” prices - If it’s much cheaper than everywhere else — that’s a red flag.
• Keep proof of your purchase - Save screenshots, order confirmations, seller contact info, and payment receipts.

Keeping your accounts secure

If you shop using your own account on an app or website keep it protected.

• Use strong passwords and make them different from your social media or gaming passwords.
• Turn on extra security like two step verification.
• Do not save your card details if you do not need to.
• Be careful with product photos. Scammers often copy images from real sites. Try searching the image online to see if it is being used on other websites.

What to do if you get scammed

If you bought something and it turns out to be fake or it never arrives.

• Contact your bank or payment service straight away.
• Report it at actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
• If you got the scam by email forward it to report at phishing.gov.uk.
• If it happened on a shopping app or social media site report it there too.
• Change your password for the app or site and check if you used that password anywhere else.
• Keep an eye on your accounts in case anything else strange happens.

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Help protect others

Talk to your family or friends about what happened. The more people know about these scams the harder it is for scammers to fool someone else.

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