Kirklees Together

Now that the John Lewis advert has hit our screens, the Coca-Cola truck is on the road and the Christmas lights are being switched on around Kirklees, we are officially drawing closer to Christmas.

This year we want to remind you about all aspects of safety around the festive period. Over the coming weeks we will be posting various safety related news stories as part of the ‘Stay safe this Christmas’ campaign, our first article is focused on staying safe online.

Last year, Action Fraud, reported that fraudsters conned 15,024 shoppers out of more than £11 million over the Christmas period in 2017.

Here are some top tips so you don’t get caught out by the Christmas rush!

• Look out for the warning signs that mean an offer may be too good to be true. If something seems too much of a bargain, it’s probably poor quality, fake or doesn’t exist.

•  Don’t pay for goods or services by bank transfer unless you know and trust the person. Payments via bank transfer offer you no protection if you become a victim of fraud.

•  Make sure you’ve installed the latest software & app updates. Criminals use weaknesses in software to attack your devices and steal information, such as your payment details. Action Fraud suggest downloading Quad9 to help protect you online.

• Use a strong, separate password and 2FA to protect your email account. Criminals can use your email to access other online accounts, such as those you use for online shopping.

• Don’t click on a link in an unexpected email or text. The volume of online shopping related phishing emails increases during the holiday period. Remember, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Action Fraud will provide useful fraud and cybercrime prevention tips throughout December to stop people from getting conned out of the Christmas they deserve. You can follow them on Twitter and Facebook for further updates on how to stay safe online.

More information and tips for staying safe online can be found on the West Yorkshire Police website – The 12 frauds of Christmas.

Criminals can use your email to access other online accounts, such as those you use for online shopping. Check out these tips on how to shop safely this Black Friday: https://t.co/RZpnfK23Qo #ShopOnlineSafely pic.twitter.com/jzYjuTRV1S

— Action Fraud (@actionfrauduk) November 27, 2019