A study from Voucherbox.co.uk reveals that up to GBP 574,074 could be scammed from eager Brits shopping online. Findings reveal that of the GBP 21.6 billion spent over the Christmas shopping season in 2014, around 0.05% was taken by online criminals - amounting to GBP 12.4 million.
This years pre-Christmas sale is likely to be the biggest single online shopping day in UK history with more than GBP 1 billion expected to change hands. This staggering amount will be spent by a record 30% of consumers who are eager to get their hands on major discounts in the run up to Christmas. But the increased online activity also provides opportunities for fraudsters to target consumers in search of a good deal.
The sum conned out of Britons over the Christmas 2014 period was a 31% rise from 2013 when UK consumers were duped out of GBP 9.5 million. Applying this rate to the predicted GBP 1bn figure for Black Friday would see scams reach in excess of half a million pounds.
Internet criminals also influence customers to part with their cash by monitoring the most popular goods online. After payment has been made however the products are not dispatched to customers.
Other types of elaborate online fraud include the creation of fake listings on genuine websites and the implementation of fake or insecure payment systems. E-mail and SMS scams related to fake retail offers and enticement to transfer money online for purchases are also used.
Data from Google UK trends also unveils a 317% increase in searches for the term Black Friday from 2013 and 2014. Global digital commerce consultancy Salmon has revealed that 30% of UK consumers are planning to shop online this Black Friday. The amount is almost four times as many as the 8% in 2014, making it the biggest Black Friday in the UK to date.
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