Be wary of scams when shopping online this Christmas

Denbighshire County Council are advising people to be wary of scams when doing this year’s online Christmas shopping.

Online scammers can be more active around the festive period as they know that more people will be looking to purchase their goods on the web. It is important to always buy from a reputable company and if the price sounds too good to be true – it usually is.

If you are not familiar with the company you are looking to buy from, take a minute to search for that company’s reviews on the internet. This will also give a good insight into both their customer service and reputation.

It is also a good idea to check that the company’s contact details and postal address on the website are genuine and to have a look to see whether the trader is part of a recognised association.

It is advised to only order from secure sites. An effective way to check if it is a secure site is to check if there is a padlock symbol in the address bar. Always make sure the padlock is on the address bar and not on the web page itself.

It is important to avoid “spoof” links to fraudulent sites that are sometimes found in emails. You should type the address you want directly into your browser rather than following a link from your email.

Councillor Win Mullen-James, Lead Member for Local Development and Planning said:

“It is important that we are scam aware when it comes to buying gifts online this festive season. Always check the legitimacy of a site, looking for the padlock symbol in the address bar and reading online reviews before deciding to purchase anything.”