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UK consumers losing more than ever to holiday scams

Last Christmas, UK consumers lost over £11m to cyber criminals. This year, to save them from tears, the NCSC and Action Fraud are teaming up to launch an anti-fraud campaign

Alex Scroxton
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Published: 18 Nov 2024 14:45

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and Action Fraud have launched their annual appeal to consumers to pay more attention to fraud, after publishing figures that reveal rising losses to online scammers during the festive shopping season, which kicks off in earnest over the next fortnight heading into Black Friday.

Despite giving similar warnings last, and every, year, Brits lost over £11.5m to cyber criminals during November and December of 2023 – a jump of about £1m – with clothing, technology products and cars among the most prominent items targeted. Victims lost an average of £695 each, and those aged 30 to 39 submitted the largest number of reports, closely followed by 40 to 49 year-olds.

According to the statistics, about 43% of reported incidents involved a social media platform, and 19% an online marketplace.

The NCSC is today launching a national campaign to encourage people to take the bare minimum of steps to protect themselves, such as turning on multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect their online accounts.

“As we head into the holiday shopping season, people are understandably eager to find the best deals online,” said NCSC CEO Richard Horne. “Unfortunately, this is also prime time for cyber criminals, who exploit bargain hunters with increasingly sophisticated scams – sometimes crafted using AI – making them harder to detect. To stay protected, I strongly recommend following our online shopping guidance, including setting up two-step verification and creating memorable-but-secure passwords using three random words.”

Recently appointed Home Office minister for fraud Lord Hanson added: “We know that more needs to be done to tackle online fraud. Our message to anyone shopping online as we approach Black Friday is simple: if you come across anything that doesn’t feel right – stop what you’re doing, break contact, and do not click any links.

“This government is committed to defeating this scourge, and we will continue our work with industry and other partners to better protect the public from this appalling crime,” he said.

NCSC guidance

Besides implementing simple technical measures, online shoppers are also being encouraged to be on the lookout for standard-yet-effective cyber criminal tactics. For example, some fraudsters often try to create a false sense of urgency using limited-time offers, or promoting apparently scarce or exclusive items.

In all instances, the best course of action is to shop sceptically – always keeping in mind the old adage that if something seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is. If something doesn’t seem quite right, the best course of action is to stop, break off contact, do not click on any links that have already been sent, and research the company or seller through trusted review sites.

Consumers can find out more about this year’s campaign at the Stop! Think Fraud microsite.

Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at consumer protection organisation Which?, said she was in favour of the NCSC and government doing more to raise awareness of fraud and scams, but urged them to go further, saying it was not right that the onus always falls on consumers to protect themselves.

“Tackling fraud must be made a national priority, and the government should lead a more coordinated approach by encouraging sectors to share data and stop scams spreading,” she said. 

“New duties, equivalent to the obligations being introduced for banks and online platforms, should be placed on telecom providers, online advertising providers and domain registrars to ensure they verify the legitimacy of users.”

Read more about cyber fraud

  • The Financial Ombudsman Service says it recorded almost 9,000 complaints about fraud and scams from April to June, the most ever recorded.
  • A Which?-led coalition of banks and telecoms operators is calling on the UK's new government to take the lead on enabling data sharing to help fight digital fraud.
  • Contact centres can be sitting ducks for fraudsters, but comprehensive agent training, authentication techniques and advanced technologies can protect businesses and customers.

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