Economic Crime officers warn shoppers of deals that may be just too good to be true ahead of Black Friday

In the lead up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, officers are warning the public to take extra care when shopping online as reports of online shopping fraud have continued to surge.

Our fraud and cybercrime staff and volunteers who work within our Economic Crime Unit have been out across communities in the lead up to Black Friday delivering valuable inputs and holding community crime prevention stalls to raise awareness to prevent our communities from economic harm and to also safeguard those who have unfortunately already become a victim.

Before purchasing something online this Friday, we are asking you to stop and think before making a purchase.

The most common types of online shopping fraud are:

• Purchases on social media marketplaces where criminals will ask for payment upfront before sending the item and then victims do not receive the item or its an empty box or something completely different to the purchased item.
• Purchases of high value goods on Instagram for example trainers or handbags which turn out to be fake once delivered.

Detective Sergeant Stacey Shannon of GMP’s Economic Crime Unit, said, “We understand that because of the rising cost of living, people are looking to try and get the most from their money and save where they can and steal a deal this Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

“Christmas is an expensive time of year, and we know that criminals’ will use this as an opportunity to exploit people and dupe them into parting with their hard-earned cash.

“Make sure you know who and where you are buying from. While our figures show that people aged 30-40 years old are most likely to fall victim to an online shopping fraud, this crime type can affect anyone of any age.

“Where possible, use a credit card when shopping online, this will offer you more protection if anything goes wrong.

“We want people to make the most of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals and opportunities but just be careful, it is easy to rush into making a purchase to try and grab a bargain as quickly as possible, but we want people to take a minute to stop and think before buying.”

More online shopping crime prevention advice here: Online shopping | Greater Manchester Police

How to report:

Fraud is a serious crime, and we are doing all in our power to combat this and reduce the number of victims in Greater Manchester. If you suspect it, you must report it.

• If you, or someone you know is vulnerable to fraud please report it online or call us on 101.
• For more information and help or to report these and many other types of fraud, go to Action Fraud.