‘Massive increase’ in scams on sites that offer goods for sale

NORTH YORKSHIRE Police has revealed it has dealt with a “massive increase” in scams through popular consumer websites during the coronavirus lockdown.

Victims in the county have been scammed out of thousands of pounds, both buying and selling through the sites, according to the force.

Meanwhile, Action Fraud confirmed it has seen a 46 per cent rise in reports of online shopping-related fraud.

Andy Fox, a financial abuse safeguarding officer for North Yorkshire Police, said: “I have seen a massive increase in eBaytype frauds (during the lockdown).

“People still want to spend online while they are at home, and generally speaking, people are buying all sorts from phones to puppies

“Very often, coronavirus is being used as an excuse as to why goods haven’t arrived. The scammer will convince the buyer to pay outside of Paypal.”

Mr Fox added both buyers and sellers were falling victim.

Buyers may spend cash on goods which either never arrive, or are completely different to what was advertised on the site.

Sellers, meanwhile, were sending goods off before realising they had not received payment for the items

Mr Fox said: “It’s not necessarily buyers or sellers, it’s a mixture of both. If you’re selling an iPhone, for example, and you send the goods off, we are finding that people later realise no money has been received at all.

“Sometimes people are buying goods and realise it has been wrongly advertised.”

Action Fraud said online shopping and auction fraud was “over 46 per cent higher than pre-lockdown reporting trends”. People are being urged to think before parting with cash and contact their bank immediately if they suspect they have been scammed.