Debit card, lock and keyboard, symbolising security

Online shopping scams

The threat from internet fraudsters is continually evolving. The best way to tackle these threats is to ensure you are always aware of them and how they work.

Online shopping scams

You should be careful when buying and selling goods online. Fraudsters will advertise goods or services that don’t exist or aren’t theirs to sell. They may also send you links to websites that appear genuine and mimic the actual websites.

Protect yourself

  • Never follow a link in an unexpected email, and it’s always good to check the spellings in the URL
  • Fraudsters will try and convince you to send the money directly to their bank account, or will try and obtain your card details – always research the seller
  • If you’re buying a high value item for e.g. a car or a piece of jewellery, insist on seeing the item
  • When you’re paying for something you’ve purchased, always use a secure payment method such as PayPal or if paying by card, look out for a small padlock symbol in the address bar (or elsewhere in your browser window) and a web address beginning with https:// (the s stands for 'secure')
  • One method alone is not enough so you should always be vigilant

Fraud and security

Whether you've been the victim of fraud, or you're looking to learn more about avoiding it, we are committed to keeping you and your accounts as safe as possible.

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