{"id":3586,"date":"2022-11-24T15:04:46","date_gmt":"2022-11-24T15:04:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nebrcentre.co.uk\/?p=3586"},"modified":"2022-11-24T15:04:46","modified_gmt":"2022-11-24T15:04:46","slug":"bargain-hunters-be-aware-this-black-friday-ncsc-warns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/northeastcrc\/bargain-hunters-be-aware-this-black-friday-ncsc-warns\/","title":{"rendered":"Bargain Hunters Be Aware this Black Friday, NCSC Warns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is warning bargain hunters to be extra alert for seasonal scams, as part of its recent Cyber Aware<\/a> campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now is a good time to strengthen online security credentials for individuals and businesses alike with new figures revealing that victims of online Christmas shopping scams lost on average \u00a31,000 per person last year, and with businesses across all sectors reporting a rise in targeted online crime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scams range in size and complexity across multiple platforms but each one is aimed at getting your hard-earned cash. And with inflation hitting double digits and heating costs rising by the month, it\u2019s not easy to ignore what might look like a great bargain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NCSC CEO Lindy Cameron said: <\/strong>\u201cOnline shoppers will understandably be looking for bargains during the Black Friday and Christmas shopping period and we want them to do so safely. Sadly, we know that criminals will look to exploit consumers at this time of year which is why good cyber security has such an important role to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would urge everyone to help us fight the scammers by following our Cyber Aware advice to set up two-step verification and use three random word passwords.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pauline Smith, Head of Action Fraud, added:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe festive season is an expensive time for many of us. It\u2019s natural for shoppers to get caught up in the excitement of Black Friday deals, and rush into making a quick purchase online to bag a bargain. Unfortunately, Christmas will come early for criminals who see this as an ideal opportunity to take advantage of us with the tempting promise of bogus cheap deals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur figures show that most scams last year involved mobile phones and electronics, so always shop with official retailers and don\u2019t be enticed by deals that seem too good to be true. Where possible, use a credit card when shopping online as this will offer you more protection if anything goes wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some easy ways to help protect you, your colleagues and those in your supply chain: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n