POLICE are urging shoppers to remain vigilant when shopping online this Christmas - in an effort to stay one step ahead of fraudsters.

Detectives in the county say reports of people being defrauded of cash or goods go up at this time of the year.

As the demand for online shopping continues to rise each year, the need to know how to safe when doing so has never been so pivotal.

Detective Sergeant Stephanie Goulding, from Cumbria Police, said: “These last few weeks before Christmas can be really busy and it can be easy to rush into making a quick purchase online. We would like to remind shoppers to take extra care when shopping for gifts online and take the time to check everything is as it seems.

“As consumers search online for bargains and gifts, fraudsters are seeing this as an opportunity to trick people. They might do this with the promise of great deals and big cash savings.

“People may be defrauded on popular social media websites and online auction sites. Remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”