Online shopping has become the new way to shop quickly, comfortably, and efficiently – searching out the best deals and bargains from the comfort of your own home and sofa. Fraudsters don’t 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. To protect yourself from falling victim to online shopping fraud, remember the following: Choose where you shop – Make sure you are buying from a website or brand you know and trust. Check for the padlock symbol and hhttps:// within the top bar of your screen and ensure the web address is spelt correctly before entering any personal information. Keeping your passwords secure – Create a strong password using three random words and include upper/lower case characters, numbers and symbols ensuring passwords are different on each account. Turn on 2-step verification – You can also protect your important accounts by turning on 2-step verification otherwise known as 2-factor authentication. This helps prevent hackers from accessing your accounts, even if they manage to bypass know your password. It will ask you to confirm it’s really you by asking you by entering the code sent to your phone or from an authentication app. Provide enough details – You should only fill in the mandatory details on a website marked with an asterisk (*). You shouldn’t have to provide security details e.g. mother’s maiden name, or the name of your first pet to complete the purchase. Watch out for phishing emails or texts – keep 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. “But I want to 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 simple 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 personal details.” If you believe you may have fallen victim, it is important to report all fraud and cybercrime incidents to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting centre, to help build a national picture and help prevent others from falling victim to scams. Forward suspicious emails to [email protected], and report message scams by forwarding the original message as a text to 7726 (spells SPAM on the keypad) Report all other Fraud or Cybercrime to www.actionfraud.police.uk/ or call 0300 123 2040. If you are being subject to a live and ongoing cyber-attack then please contact us on 101.