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Tuesday, 29th November 2011, 16:44:59
Protect against e-crime this Christmas, expert warns
Online shoppers using the internet to buy presents in preparation for Christmas should be aware of the dangers when making credit card transactions, one expert has urged.
It was predicted that spending averaged at around £300,000 this Cyber Monday and in light of the growing popularity of online shopping, fraud specialists and police forces have sent out a message to shoppers to be aware of opportunistic fraudsters who may target fake websites and low-security payment portals, Wales Online reports.
A study by the Centre for Retail Research showed that online shopping will take 20 pence in every pound spent this Christmas. But the government said that of the £500 million likely to be lost in online fraud scams this year, a large proportion will be over the Christmas period.
E-crime Wales steering group member and Get Safe Online managing director Tony Neate said: "If you mistakenly hand your card and address details to a fake website, you could be at risk of having your identity stolen by criminal organisations or individuals."
Anti-virus software, operating systems and software packages should be regularly updated and firewalls always activated, he added.
In a recent BBC report, detective superintendent Charlie McMurdie from Scotland Yard's e-crime unit criticised judges for failing to give those found guilty of online scams the same treatment as fraudsters and thieves.
She said: "Some of these people have made millions and if it was fraud or robbery they would get eight or ten years but they get less because it's cyber crime."
Mr Neate continued that online shoppers should take simple yet effective steps to protect themselves from e-criminals. Many systems could prevent thieves from hacking into bank details, a criminal act that has been dubbed "the gift that keeps on giving" if the owner of the card doesn't realise straight away.
It is expected that more than £13 billion will be spent online this Christmas - an increase from £11.6 billion in 2010, according to the Centre for Retail Research.
Posted by Henry Thomas
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