Don’t let emotion make you a victim

SCAMMERS get you to pay for goods or services from a website that is mimicking a vendor website but you never receive your products.

They play on our willingness to trust a hard-to-resist deal. We like to think we’re savvy shoppers and by appealing to the bargain-hunter in us, they leave us little time to consider the situation and convince us to part with our money.

In this instance, scammers also play on the implicit trust that purchasing online from a seemingly authentic website seems to provide.

If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Make sure you are buying from a genuine website – check it starts with ‘https’ and look at independent review sites. Also, be careful how you pay.

Protections vary depending on different payment methods, for example paying by credit card could cover you for payments between £100 and £30,000 under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act if something goes wrong. a request for payment is received from someone purporting to be someone senior in a company or a client – so ask yourself whether this person is really who they say they are, and consider checking with the company they say they’re from. needed to scam their victims.

A warning sign could be if someone you’ve met on a dating website attempts to move the conversation away from the website. They may also ask many questions about you, but offer little information about themselves. They may be reluctant to Skype or meet in person and might have a ‘sob story’ to tell, which results in them asking you for money.

While you may feel like you’re being swept up in a big romance, take some time to stop and think, and perhaps consider discussing any warning signs with people who you know well and trust, such as HOLIDAYS are one of our biggest annual purchases and often one of the most exciting milestones of the year. Scammers prey on our excitement at the prospect of booking a dream holiday and our eagerness not to miss out on the best possible deal. These feelings can limit our ability to make a rational and considered decision.

Watch out if you are asked to make your payment for your break outside an official website – and be particularly cautious if you are asked to transfer money directly into someone’s bank account, as this could make it particularly hard to claw your cash back.

Check reviews across different websites, not just one, and be wary of anyone trying to pressure you into signing up to a ‘limited time’ offer.