A campaign has been launched in North Wales to help people shop safely online before Christmas.

The 'Buying Safely Online' initiative, led by Get Safe Online, comes as a response to the number of people being defrauded while shopping on the internet.

The campaign is in partnership with North Wales Police and the region’s police and crime commissioner, Andy Dunbobbin.

The initiative aims to provide the public with helpful information and advice on how to protect themselves from online fraud.

Tony Neate, CEO of Get Safe Online, said: "Hundreds of thousands of cases of people being defrauded while buying online are reported annually, with the figure increasing every year.

"The actual number of cases is considerably higher, as most purchase frauds go unreported by their victims.

"That’s why, this month we are promoting ways to purchase safely online and to help ensure you and your family can shop safely, securely, and with confidence in the run-up to Christmas."

Detective Constable Roheryn Evans from North Wales Police’s Cyber Crime Team shared that social engineering tactics are making it difficult for people to spot scams.

He said: "Criminals have ever-changing tactics that make use of social engineering skills to make you believe their lies.

"Social engineering is how they persuade and convince us to either do a certain thing or buy a certain product because it encourages us to act quickly without thinking.

"It’s only afterwards, when the product doesn’t arrive, that we realise we’ve been conned."

The police and crime commissioner for North Wales, Andy Dunbobbin, also stressed the importance of vigilance, especially in the run-up to Christmas.

He said: "Purchase fraud is a growing problem and one that we should be extra vigilant of in the run-up to Christmas.

"In today’s economic climate, we’re all looking for those amazing bargains, and some offers can be hard to refuse.

"‘If something looks too good to be true, it often is’ is an old saying, but one that still applies today, especially at a time when so much of our Christmas shopping takes place online.

"So, take care and ensure you have a cracking Christmas, rather than falling victim to festive fraud."

Get Safe Online has shared some top tips to help individuals protect themselves from online fraud.

These include avoiding direct money transfers to unknown people or companies, ensuring a website is authentic by checking the address is spelt correctly, and learning to spot fraudulent advertisements on social media and online marketplaces.

People are also urged not to click on unexpected links or open unexpected email attachments and to make sure payment pages are secure.

Reading the small print and independent reviews for low-cost or free trials is also advised, as these could lead to large monthly direct debits that are hard to cancel.

Texts and emails claiming to be from home delivery companies telling you that you owe a fee are also common and should be treated with suspicion.

Keeping a record of everything you buy and which delivery firm the retailer is using can help verify these claims.

Pricing research, especially during events like Black Friday and seasonal sales, is also advised, as some sellers may advertise products at a lower price when they’re no cheaper or even more expensive.

Lastly, any fraud should be reported immediately to your bank and the police.

For further tips and advice, individuals can visit the Get Safe Online website.