A large part of Christmas preparations is doing your shopping, whether it be groceries for the big day or snapping up those last minute presents. As Black Friday and Cyber Monday ended the November savings, the next round of sales are here. Come Boxing Day, the savings come rolling in once again, with thousands of Brits heading out to their favourite stores or online retailers to see what they can score for a bargain. But experts have come prepared with a warning for anyone looking to take advantage of the post-Christmas and New Year sales. Whilst fraudsters are always present online, Boxing Day and January sales periods make consumers prime targets for online shopping scams, especially when consumers are less vigilant amidst the panic to get the best deals. E-commerce experts at Love The Sales have revealed how to avoid common Boxing Day and January sale shopping scams. Stuart McClure, Co-Founder at Love the Sales has commented: “Unfortunately prime shopping periods such as Boxing Day and January sales can be marred by criminals preying on shoppers hoping to get the best deals. Impacting individuals not only financially but emotionally by ruining the New Year with counterfeit products or no products at all. “While these con artists will always be present online, you can take steps to defend yourself against these individuals. It all comes down to identifying the most typical scams and staying vigilant. To help protect yourself and your money, follow these tips and you can sign up for email alerts from Trading Standards and Action Fraud to help you stay ahead of the latest scams.” Five top tips to avoid these common shopping scams: Fake online stores With the boom of online shopping, scammers have taken advantage of the internet’s anonymity to defraud unwary customers. Fake websites are nothing new, but they look more legitimate than ever before. Scammers use photos from real sellers and mimic the look and feel of real trusted stores. Attractive prices are often advertised to lure people in, and are often too good to be true. Unfortunately, after paying for the product, contact with the ‘seller’ is usually lost or, in the best case, an item of lower quality is sent, which is a counterfeit of what the seller offered. Use traceable payment methods The lack of reputable payment methods on a website is a massive red flag. If you’re asked to pay using cryptocurrency or bank transfer, think twice before paying this way. It’s often difficult and may be impossible, to get your money back if you send a payment with one of these options. Whilst there are a number of bank transfer payment systems that are trustworthy, do your research and ensure they are a reputable system to use. Look out for “too good to be true” deals While everyone loves a bargain whilst shopping online, especially on Boxing Day, a lower-than-average price may be a strong indicator that you are being scammed. Often these will be found through what are deemed ‘reputable; marketplaces such as Facebook, eBay or Amazon. Scammers can set up a fake store and sell through these sites under the guise of a reputable marketplace. This can result in either you paying for a counterfeit product or receiving nothing at all. Keep your passwords secure Whilst it is easy to slip into the ‘one size fits all’ bracket for your passwords, this can set you up as an easy target for online fraud. Once an online scammer figures out one password, then it’s easy for them to turn around and try it on all of your accounts. And always avoid dodgy emails – an easy tactic that many consumers will fall victim to is the fake ‘branded’ email that offers exclusive deals for your favourite brands. The email will be branded with the retailer’s branding and often looks legitimate.