A timely reminder from Action Fraud at a time of the year when many people are shopping online:
Protect yourself:
- Check the authenticity of the websites before making any purchases. Conduct a ‘whois’ search on the website which will identify when the website has been created, be wary of newly formed domains. You can conduct this search using the following website – https://who.is/.
- Carry out online research in relation to the website, company name and the business address provided to identify any poor feedback or possible irregularities.
- Check the Trusted Shops Facebook page where warnings about websites using their Trustmark are published. If you are in doubt about the legitimacy of a Trustmark then you can contact Trusted Shops on 0203 364 5906 or by email service@trustedshops.co.uk. They will confirm whether they have certified that website.
- Payments made via bank transfer are not protected should you not received the item. Therefore always try to make the payment via PayPal or a credit card where you have some payment cover should you not receive your product.
- If the item advertised seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone 0300 123 2040.
PARWICH.ORG 
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