Nottinghamshire shoppers warned to beware of scams while shopping in this year's festive sales

Nottinghamshire Police warned fraudsters do not slow down during the festive season and will always be on the lookout for their next victim to steal money from.

Criminals will take advantage of our keenness to get a bargain and scam us – so in a bid to remain safe online and keep hold of all your hard-earned cash the following simple advice has been given to shoppers as the Christmas and January sales begin.

Advice includes to ensure you are buying from a website or brand you know and trust and to create a strong password using three random words and include upper/lower case characters, numbers and symbols ensuring passwords are different on each account.

You can also protect your important accounts by turning on two-step verification otherwise known as two-factor authentication, only fill in the mandatory details on a website marked with an asterisk – you should not have to provide security details e.g. mother’s maiden name, or the name of your first pet to complete the purchase.

Shoppers are also warned tokeep an eye out for suspicious emails, calls, and texts, and most importantly remember your bank will never ask for personal details and never allow remote access to any device from a pop-up or call, this will be a scam.

Cyber protect and prevention officer Kirsty Jackson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We understand the impact the cost-of-living crisis is having on people and the advertisement of electrical goods, clothing items, vehicles and other goods can sometimes look incredibly appealing.

“I urge anyone who has that feeling that the deal may be too good to be true to act on their feelings and do more research to stop becoming a victim of cyber crime or fraud.

“We’ve kept the advice as simple as possible and want to show members of the public that developing just a few good online habits and checks could save you hundreds of pounds.

“Follow our tips on how to stay safe when shopping in the January sales and always remember if something seems too good to be true, do your research before clicking on it or handing over your details.”

Report fraud or cybercrime to actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.