Christmas and the build up to it, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, is, unfortunately an ideal time for rogue traders to fleece the public.

They not only cheat those who can ill afford it, they also sometimes put people in danger from faulty or badly-designed products. 
 

Northumberland County Council’s Trading Standards is offering advice about the most common scams and how to avoid them, so you have a safe and scam free Christmas. 
   

Con No 3 - Unsafe electricals 

Websites such as Amazon, Wish, Etsy and ebay allow people from all over to sell goods.  The goods might be counterfeit, unsafe and not in compliance with UK specifications.  A study of goods bought from online market places found that 80% of goods purchased online were unsafe. Be particularly cautious when buying toys, Christmas lights, electric scooters and small mains powered electricals.  Try and buy from a reputable retailer so you know exactly where the goods are coming from as quality or UKCA / CE safety compliance marks can also be forged. 

Con No 4 - Doorstep crime 

A combination of dark winter nights, a desire to get jobs done quickly before Christmas and a need for money by the fraudsters can prompt more doorstep crime.
 

Rogue traders will try to convince residents that unnecessary, and often sub-standard; home improvement work is needed and often at extortionate prices. Always use reputable and trustworthy local traders, or those recommended by family and friends. Don’t be rushed into agreeing to something because the trader is standing on your doorstep. 

Con No 5 - Illicit tobacco and vapes

The sale of counterfeit or other tobacco not legal to be sold in the UK becomes more prevalent in the run up to Christmas. There is no such thing as safe tobacco, but illicit products may contain other ingredients that are harmful. Any tobacco that sold in non-standardised packaging or with no health warnings is illicit. Vapes that boast more than 1600 puffs are almost certain to be illicit. Their tank size will be greater than what is allowed by UK law. These products won’t be registered with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and may even contain unregulated or dangerous ingredients. Those that sell illicit tobacco and vapes, will often also sell them to children.  

Con No 6 - Illicit alcohol

Fake or illegally produced alcohol is a risk to health as there is no way of knowing for certain how it is made and what is in it. Beware of any product that isn’t labelled in English or if it’s a known brand and the labelling doesn’t look quite right.. Be suspicious of any product if the price is too good to be true. Vodka is the most commonly counterfeited spirit. Always buy alcohol from a reputable source. 

 

It can be difficult to spot counterfeit versions of clothing by designer brands. Often, it’s the cheaper price tag of current season stock that is the big giveaway. The easiest way to avoid counterfeit goods is to buy from reputable businesses either in their shops or on their websites. Take care when ordering goods from outside of the UK as your consumer rights may be different, or harder to enforce. Be aware that even when a website has a .co.uk domain, the seller might still be based abroad. 
 

Con No 9 – Bogus Charities  

While Christmas is the time for giving, always double-check who you are giving money to and what you’re signing if asked to make donations by direct debit. Don’t sign up to direct debit on your doorstep. Official street collections (including those made house to house) should also have a street trading permit from the county council. 

Con No 10 - Bank scams  

Beware of emails, phone calls or texts purporting to be from your bank or HMRC asking you disclose personal or financial details for a rebate. Any reputable source will never ask you to disclose your bank details over the phone or via email. Avoid using any links from emails unless you are absolutely certain about who has sent you the message.  

Con No 11 - Loan Sharks  

Christmas can put a strain on any budget.  Always steer clear of illegal money lenders who charge interest at 100% or even 1,000%. 

Con No 12 - Online free trials  

New Year resolutions often involve losing weight. Scammers know this and have created on-line pop-ups offering free trials on items like weight loss supplements while disguising contracts in the fine print. After entering your card details scammers use these hidden contracts to regularly take sums of money from the victim’s account. 

 
Con No 13 - Sales but no bargains  

Winter sales may seem to offer a bargain but it might be the case that the selling price of ‘reduced’ items is no cheaper than what the item is really worth. Make sure that you really do want the item at that price and are not being rushed or duped into making a purchase you might regret later. 

 

Northumberland County Councillor Gordon Stewart, cabinet member for Looking after our Communities said: 

“While the majority of traders are reputable,,there are con artists who see Christmas as an opportunity to make money dishonestly. 

"This is why we’re making the public aware of the cons of Christmas, so they can protect themselves. Our key bit of advice is if it seems to good to be true it probably is.  Take your time, do your research and don’t rush to make quick purchases from unknown sources.”