Dorset Police news site

Dorset Police is supporting Action Fraud’s 12 Frauds of Christmas campaign for residents to have a #FraudFreeXmas.

When celebrating this festive season people are being encouraged to have a #FraudFreeXmas and stay alert to fraudsters taking advantage of the time of year, as Action Fraud reveal the 12 frauds of Christmas.

Action Fraud, the national fraud and cybercrime reporting service, has launched a Christmas campaign, revealing 12 fraud types to look out for throughout the festive season. People are being encouraged to stay extra vigilant both online and in person, as criminals will be seeking to take advantage of people at this time of year.

Damian Cranny, Fraud Protect Officer at Dorset Police, said “Christmas is meant for giving, not for criminals taking - so let's keep them off our Christmas list.

“Criminals don't take a break during the festive season and here in Dorset, we're seeing fraudsters using increasingly sophisticated methods to target our residents.

“I strongly encourage everyone to remain vigilant and follow Action Fraud's advice, particularly when shopping online or making any financial transactions.

“If you think you've been a victim of fraud, report it to Action Fraud immediately.”

New national figures from Action Fraud show that the 12 types of fraud featured in this year’s Christmas campaign resulted in victims losing a combined total of £224 million during the 2023 festive period.

Data also shows that nearly three million phishing emails were reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) from November 2023 to January 2024.

What are the 12 frauds of Christmas?

1. Phishing
2. Pet fraud
3. Online shopping fraud
4. Social media and email account hacking
5. Courier fraud
6. Romance fraud
7. Gift card fraud
8. Charity fraud
9. Investment fraud
10. QR code fraud
11. Holiday Fraud
12. Ticket Fraud

What can you do to protect yourself from fraud this Christmas?

• Protect your online accounts: the password you use for your email account should be different from all your other passwords for online accounts. Use three random words to create a strong and memorable password, and enable 2-step verification (2SV).
• Do your research: make sure you do a thorough online search before making any big financial decisions. Check the authenticity of the company or organisation before making any investment, donation to charity or booking tickets for a concert, event or holiday.
• Be cautious about how you send money: avoid paying via bank transfer and don’t be pressured into transferring large sums of money. Any trusted organisation will not force you to transfer money on the spot and only a fraudster will try to rush you. For making purchases online, use a credit card if you can.
• Be wary of unsolicited emails, texts, QR codes or contact on social media: from seeing unbelievably good deals on tickets or holidays, to seeing a suspiciously cheap prices on items advertised, always double check the authenticity of what you are going to buy online before making a purchase or paying upfront fees.
• Report suspicious emails by forwarding them to: report@phishing.gov.uk
• Report suspicious text messages or spam calls free of charge to 7726

If you’ve lost money or provided your financial information to someone, notify your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.