Black Friday scams value Brits hundreds of thousands as UK’s most gullible cities revealed

Brits have already lost £95.9 million to online shopping fraud this year sparking warnings not to fall victim this coming Black Friday.

A huge £4.9m was also reported between Black Friday and Christmas last year, highlighting an urgency for education around online shopping scams as many search for bargains.

To get ahead of the rush on November 29, Digital PR Agency analysed data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau on 49 police forces/constabularies to determine which areas of the UK experience the most online shopping fraud cases around Black Friday .

They have also provided their top tips to stay safe online during the festive shopping period.

They found that £4.9m of estimated reported losses were recorded around Black Friday 2023.

Northamptonshire Police recorded the highest number of incidents – 10.7 reports per 100,000 residents

Cheshire Constabulary saw the largest average loss at £2,204 per report. Some £438,700 of losses were reported by Thames Valley Police, the highest of all.

While Metropolitan, West Midlands & Thames Valley Police received the largest number of total reports

Northamptonshire Police claim the largest number of online shopping scam reports relative to their population. During last year’s festive period, there were 80 reports with an estimated loss of £30,400, at an average of £380 per person.

Durham falls in second with 65 reports, totalling £22,200 lost overall.

Cambridge and Kent are the third most likely areas to be scammed during festive shopping, Kent Police received 178 reports, with a huge estimated loss of £154,000, while Cambridge received 85 at a loss of £31,500.

On average, residents in Cheshire saw the largest loss per incident with 88 reports of online festive scamming and £194,000 in total estimated losses.

Thames Valley Police hold the second largest average loss per report, with a huge 216 reports and a total of £438,700. Following in third is Cleveland Police in North Yorkshire with just 35 losses costing residents £47,300 in total.

According to the data, Thames Valley Police reported the largest estimated loss around Black Friday last year.

Metropolitan Police Service placed second, receiving 771 reports, with an average loss of £565.11 per person. The third largest overall loss was reported by West Midlands Police, noting and average of £1,081.01 per person across 237 reports.

These three areas also saw the highest volume of reports, followed by Greater Manchester (213 reports) and West Yorkshire (183 reports).

You can find the full dataset with more information on all 49 police forces/constabularies here.

With sales starting this week, Digital PR Agency provided their top tips on staying safe while online shopping during Black Friday and the festive season.

Only purchase from trusted, reputable suppliers

When shopping, stick to trusted online retailers you’ve heard of or purchased from before. Stay cautious when you’re browsing on unfamiliar sites with deals that seem too good to be true.

Look for obvious signs of a clone website

Before you enter your payment or personal information, check for ‘https://’ in the URL and a green padlock in the URL bar, this means that the site is using encryption to protect your data. Also check for spelling and grammar mistakes on the page, alongside any graphics that may look like they don’t belong.

Be wary of emails

Avoid clicking on links from companies or email addresses you don’t recognise or haven’t signed up for. They may claim to offer exclusive Black Friday deals, however it may not be true. Don’t click on any links in the email, instead go directly to the website from your search engine and find the offer on their page, using the above guidance. You can also hover over the link to check whether it is the legitimate website, double checking whether it’s taking you to the correct website.

Make big purchases using a credit card

Try to use your credit card, rather than debit card or bank transfer, as they offer better fraud protection and it’s a lot easier to get your money back if you are scammed or the transaction goes wrong. Alternatively, you can use secure payment methods like PayPal or Apple Pay as they provide additional protection.

Finally – if you find a bargain that looks too good to be true, it probably is, so be diligent when purchasing online this festive season.

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