Warning from Yorkshire fraud expert to be aware of online scams this Boxing Day

As people in West Yorkshire will be looking to take advantage of Boxing Day sales, there's a warning to be vigilant of online fraudulent sites

People urged to look out for fraudulent websites when spending their Christmas money
Author: Katie LyonsPublished 26th Dec 2024

As many people in West Yorkshire will be looking to take advantage of Boxing Day sales, there's a warning from a fraud expert to be aware of online scams.

We're hearing how fraudsters will be using this day to try and scam people out of their money.

The message from the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit is, if it's too good to be true, it probably is.

Andy Fox is the Counter Fraud Coordinator and told us: "If you're going to shop online, shop with an approved retailer.

"Shop with someone who you've trusted, do your reviews, there's lots of reviews online about various markets that are out there, various sellers, whether that your established ones or online shoppers.

"Just do a bit of research before parting with your money."

Andy also said how it's becoming harder to spot the signs of a fraudulent website. He said: "Fake websites are now, even to the trained eye are very, very difficult to spot.

"Sometimes I get sent fake websites and I have to go to our cyber specialist team to say, well I can't spot the difference I this, and quite often it might take them quite a while before they come back and say yeah, we can finally confirm this site is fake."

West Yorkshire Police have issued advice for people who have been scammed it includes contacting Action Fraud.

They also state that If debit or credit cards, online banking or cheques are involved, your first step should be to contact your bank or credit card company.

More advice can be found here.

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