ONLINE shoppers in North Yorkshire and York are being reminded to stay safe as Black Friday approaches.

Black Friday is a large shopping event that originated in the United States, and takes place on the day after Thanksgiving - which is this coming Friday.

Based on previous fraud data, it is likely that there will be an increase in online shopping and auction fraud in the run up to Christmas, particularly around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which follows next week.

Andy Fox, financial abuse safeguarding officer at North Yorkshire Police, said: “If you are a victim of shopping or auction fraud, the most immediate problem is that you have no real prospect of returning the goods or having your money refunded.

“After this, there is a risk that your identity details could be compromised. Fraudsters could steal your identity and use it to access your personal finances or obtain goods or finance from alternative sources.”

For information on how to avoid fraud, visit: https://northyorkshire.police.uk/staying-safe/fraud/