Don't become a victim of fraud this Christmas

Trading standards officers at Derbyshire County Council are backing a campaign urging people to look out for fraud this Christmas.

The 12 frauds of Christmas campaign from Action Fraud, the national fraud and cybercrime reporting service, is highlighting some of the fraud types to be alert for during the festive season.

Trading standards officers are encouraging people to stay extra vigilant online, and in person, as criminals will be seeking to take advantage of the time of year while people celebrate Christmas and the festive season.

New figures from Action Fraud show that the 12 types of fraud featured in this year’s Christmas campaign resulted in victims losing a combined total of £224 million during the 2023 festive period. Data also shows that nearly three million phishing emails were reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) from November 2023 to January 2024.

What are the 12 frauds of Christmas?

1. Phishing
2. Pet fraud
3. Online shopping fraud
4. Social media and email account hacking
5. Courier fraud
6. Romance fraud
7. Gift card fraud
8. Charity fraud
9. Investment fraud
10. QR code fraud
11. Holiday Fraud
12. Ticket Fraud

What can you do to protect yourself from fraud this Christmas?

• Protect your online accounts: the password you use for your email account should be different from all your other passwords for online accounts. Use three random words to create a strong and memorable password, and enable two-step verification (2SV).
   
• Do your research: make sure you do a thorough online search before making any big financial decisions. Check the authenticity of the company or organisation before making any investment, donation to charity or booking tickets for a concert, event or holiday.
   
• Be cautious about how you send money: avoid paying via bank transfer and don’t be pressured into transferring large sums of money. Any trusted organisation will not force you to transfer money on the spot and only a fraudster will try to rush you. For making purchases online, use a credit card if you can.
   
• Be wary of unsolicited emails, texts, QR codes or contact on social media: from seeing unbelievably good deals on tickets or holidays, to seeing a suspiciously cheap prices on items advertised, always double check the authenticity of what you are going to buy online before making a purchase or paying upfront fees.

- Report suspicious emails by forwarding them to: report @ phishing.gov.uk
- Report suspicious text messages or spam calls free of charge to 7726

Anyone who has lost money or provided financial information to someone, should notify their bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, Councillor Carol Hart, said: “Christmas can be a busy and stressful period, but do take time to think, double check and do some research before you part with your money or make any decisions. We want everyone in Derbyshire to have a fraud-free Christmas, so please also speak to your family and friends and ask them to stay vigilant too.”

Adam Mercer, Deputy Head of Action Fraud, said: “Criminals don’t stop for Christmas and will continue to operate, targeting busy people who are preparing for the festive season this year. We’re launching the 12 frauds of Christmas campaign this year to highlight some of the fraud types to look out for during the festive season. Everyone celebrating should stay vigilant, as fraudsters will use the busy period to catch people out.

“Make sure you follow our advice this Christmas and protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or cybercrime.”