Cumbrians are being warned to take extra care when shopping online this Christmas.

Action Fraud warned those taking advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to be wary when making their purchases.

The fraud and cyber-crime centre says national reports of shopping fraud have surged by 30 per cent during the pandemic.

Figures show that, even pre-pandemic, last Christmas there was an increase in shopping fraud, up by 20 per cent on 2018.

Last year criminals conned 17,407 people out of almost £13.5 million over the Christmas period alone.

Action Fraud has issued tips to help people shop securely this Christmas.

This includes researching online stores not used before, only creating accounts with online shops if it is necessary or if it is a site you will use a lot and being suspicious of offers in links to fake websites.

“Be cautious if the website asks you for details that are not required for your purchase, such as your mother’s maiden name or the name of your primary school,” they said.

When making payment it advises shoppers ensure the webpage is secure and begins with ‘https’. Using a credit card online also provides payment protection.

Report any suspicious emails you receive by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk. You can also report suspicious text messages by forwarding them to 7726.