PCC Mark Shelford and Avon and Somerset Police are warning local people to take extra care when shopping online in the run up to Christmas.

According to Action Fraud, over 28,000 people across the country reported falling victim to online shopping fraud with losses totalling £15.4million.

Of this number, 4,489 people reported being conned out of their money during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

One common tactic used to defraud victims is the use of fake websites that are purporting to be reputable companies; these websites are created to look identical to the real website and will advertise items at a much cheaper price than retail price. In reality, these websites are fake and the victim will never receive the item they have paid for.

If you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to: actionfraud.police.uk or by calling: 0300 123 2040.