People across Norfolk and Suffolk urged to be vigilant during Black Friday
Last year Black Friday scams soared by nearly 30 percent
People across Norfolk and Suffolk are being urged to be vigilant this Black Friday as research shows last year scams on the day rose by 29 percent.
Lloyds Bank have revealed that over a quarter of people in the East of England say that they would happily take risks while shopping online if they are running low on time.
The overall rate of purchase scams is up by 14% already this year, with victims losing more than £500 on average.
Despite the risk of purchase scams, the majority of people (57%) think a bank transfer is a safe payment method when shopping online.
Purchase scams occur when someone is tricked into sending money directly to someone else's account via bank transfer to buy goods or services - often advertised online or via social media - that don't exist.
There is a huge concern for consumers as more than half of UK adults say the rise in the cost of living makes them more keen to seek a bargain, while two in five say they would shop from anywhere that claims to have the product they are looking for.
Liz Ziegler, Fraud Prevention Director at Lloyds Bank, told us people need to take their time before giving their bank details away: " Some of the tell tale signs are; is somebody rushing you to make a transaction? Are they trying to push you really quickly to send some money? Just look out for those offers as well because things that look too good be true, unfortunately usually are too good to be true."
Lloyds Bank are advising everyone to pay by card and avoid sending money directly into someone else's bank account.