The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has launched a campaign to help individuals and small businesses stay secure online.

With the festive season approaching, including the Black Friday sales, the potential for scams increases. For instance, scammers may claim that an offer is only available for a limited time or that products are scarce in order to manipulate people into acting quickly without thinking. Delivery scams are also popular.

Data from the City of London Police suggests that around £11.8 million was lost last year, between 1 November 2024 and 31 January 2025, to online shopping fraud.

How Can You and Your Staff Stay Safe?

The campaign encourages you to take the following four precautions:

  1. Check that the shop is legitimate.
  2. Secure your important online accounts, using two-step verification where possible.
  3. Check out and pay securely.
  4. Beware of delivery scams. Check a request is genuine by contacting the organisation directly.

To review the campaign advice in full, see: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/stay-alert-to-holiday-shopping-cyber-scams