That’s based on figures from 2020, when 28,049 online shoppers were scammed out of £15.4m over the Christmas retail period. Black Friday and Cyber Monday alone accounted for £2.5m of the total, with an average loss of £550.

“Christmas is an incredibly busy time for us all but, sadly, criminals will see this as an ideal opportunity to take advantage of shoppers who are caught up in the excitement of securing a bargain online,” said Pauline Smith, Head of Action Fraud. 

Her advice for a safe approach to online shopping is to trust your gut. “If you think you’ve found a bargain that is too good to be true, it probably is,” she said. “Stop and think before making a purchase as it could protect you and your money.”

There are many reasons why people remain at risk to fraudsters, including psychology, automatic behaviours and habits that can be taken advantage of. There are tools to help though. Get Safe Online has an easy-to-use function that helps you determine whether a website is likely to be legitimate or a scam – before you visit it. Simply type in the address of the website you want to check, and your results will appear in seconds. 

Action Fraud recommends some simple steps for keeping yourself safe when shopping online. 

If you’re purchasing goods from a website you’re unfamiliar with, stay sceptical and do some checks. This means seeking out online reviews of the business in question. If you’re buying from an online marketplace, such as eBay, you can view the seller’s feedback history before handing over any money. And always use the website’s payment method, such as PayPal. Never send money directly to the seller’s bank account.

Some payment methods, such as credit cards, offer buyer protection. Under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, you’re covered by credit card purchase protection if you use your credit card to buy goods or services costing between £100.01 and £30,000.

At work, you’re probably familiar with password policies designed to keep hackers away from company emails. The same principle should be applied to your personal account by using a strong unique password consisting of memorable yet random words, numbers and characters. 

That way, criminals should not be able to use your email to gain access to your other online accounts, such as those used for online shopping. Where possible, ensure that you enable two-factor authentication (2FA): this means having to input a second piece of information when logging in, often a secure code sent to your phone or generated by an app. 

If you receive an SMS text about an amazing offer, it may be trying to direct you to a fake website designed to look like the website of a high street retailer. Exercise caution and go separately to the official website, rather than clicking on any links. 

And remember, if it turns out to be an attempt at fraud, report it. Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and suspicious texts to 7726 (it spells ‘SPAM’ on a keypad). If you come across an iffy-looking website, report it to the National Cyber Security Centre.