Households face losing £695 each (Image: Getty)
A bank has issued a warning to customers ahead of Black Friday after some woke up to an average of £695 missing from bank accounts.
Online only bank Monzo has urged customers to be vigilant this Black Friday bargain hunting season, with scammers using ‘fake shops, phishing messages and made up offers’ to get people to hand over their money or their details.
According to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) data shared by Monzo, shoppers reported losing over £11.5 million to online criminals between November 2023 and January 2024, an average loss of £695 per victim.
Monzo urged customers to be aware of fake websites. It said: “Scammers create convincing online shops that look like real brands. You pay for something, but it never arrives.” It said warning signs include: “Misspelt web addresses, missing contact details and prices much lower than the real retailer’s.”
On phishing scams, it says: “A message pretends to be from a retailer or delivery company, asking you to follow a link or share details.”
Warning signs include: “Unexpected messages, pressure to act quickly, unusual links or requests for passwords or card details.”
Social media scams include adverts which take you to a fake shop, where scammers posing as a real retailer then take your money or card details. Warning signs include ‘adverts offering well-known brands at unusually low prices, or websites that don’t look quite right’.”
On fake delivery messages, it says: “A text or email that claims you’ve missed a delivery and asks you to pay a fee to rearrange it.
“Messages about deliveries you weren’t expecting, especially if they include a link asking for payment or personal details.”
The firm adds: “Black Friday fraud is a scam that targets shoppers during the Black Friday sales. It can include fake shops, misleading offers and messages designed to steal money or personal details.
“Warning signs include a price that’s much lower than those offered by other retailers, pressure to buy quickly, missing contact details or a seller insisting on a bank transfer. Take time to check the seller before you pay.
“Before buying, look up the seller, read independent reviews and check the web address carefully. Compare the price with other retailers and give yourself time to check anything that doesn’t seem right.
“Check the seller and their web address before you buy, and take care with unexpected links. Keep your passwords and one-time passcodes private, and be cautious if a seller asks you to pay by bank transfer or outside a marketplace.”
