How to avoid becoming a victim of fraud in Doncaster this Christmas

Launching its Christmas campaign, a South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “We know many of you will have started your Christmas shopping, particularly with the recent black Friday and cyber Monday deals on offer, and whilst it is amazing we are now able to do most of this online and can avoid the headache of having to tackle the shops, it is important to remember a few key things.”

Here’s the top tips from the police when online shopping.

- Avoid bank transfers: Most legitimate businesses will only accept card or PayPal payments. If someone is asking for your bank details think twice before giving them out and report any suspicious activity

- Check the web address: Make sure the web address doesn’t have any unusual characters in it, such as zeros or exclamation marks. Also check it starts with HTTPS, as the S stands for secure

- Always question if a deal seems too good to be true: We all love a bargain but if a deal seems a little too good do some research to double check it is real and not a scam

The spokesman added: “Whilst we are sure you will have already sent your Christmas lists to Father Christmas, if you are doing any online shopping keep these top tips in mind.”

You can find further fraud awareness advice here- https://www.southyorkshire.police.uk/.../crime.../fraud/

You can also contact police on 101.