Online shopping fraud rises 20% costing consumers more than £56 million in one year

31 January 2025, 01:01

Online shopping fraud rose quickly to cost consumers more than £56 million last year, marking an increase of 20% in shopping scams.
Online shopping fraud rose quickly to cost consumers more than £56 million last year, marking an increase of 20% in shopping scams. Picture: Getty

By Josef Al Shemary

Online shopping fraud rose quickly to cost consumers more than £56 million last year, marking an increase of 20% in shopping scams.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Consumers reported 68,000 cases of online shopping fraud in the 2023-24 financial year, according to data from Action Fraud obtained by the Lib Dems through a Freedom of Information request.

Consumers suffered a total of more than £56.3 million in losses as a result - up 20% from the year before.

This is compared to £46.6 million of losses in the previous year to fraudulent online shopping scams and some 66,000 cases reported.

Action Fraud describes online shopping fraud as "shopping scams that rely on the anonymity of the internet".

Read more: 'Godfather of AI' warns 'alien superintelligence' could replace humans - and no one knows how to make it safe

TikTok scam warning after job hunter loses £6,000 responding to advert claiming he could earn thousands online

The Lib Dems are calling for a national Online Crime Agency to be set up to deal with crimes such as personal fraud and threats and incitement to violence on social media.

Party leader Sir Ed Davey said: "Criminals are preying on vulnerable people with frauds and scams online on an industrial scale.

"Yet the last Conservative Government sat on its hands and let these fraudsters get away with it.

"People have lost eye-watering amounts of money to online fraudsters and we urgently need real action to stop them.

"Liberal Democrats are urging the Government to set up a new Online Crime Agency to tackle fraud, bring these vile criminals to justice, and free up police time to focus on keeping our communities safe.”

Read more: Mick Jagger leads tributes to late ex-girlfriend and Sixties pop icon Marianne Faithfull

Action Fraud is the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, based out of the City of London police.

Action Fraud has an online toolkit showing steps people can take to protect themselves from online fraud.

They urge people to not give out their personal data, make sure their devices have good, updated antivirus software, and double check if emails are from a reputable source - among many other steps.

UK Finance published their numbers on fraud and scams in the first half of 2024, revealing that over £570 million was stolen by scammers in the time period.

It showed that 72% of fraud cases came from online courses, which account for 32% of the value of losses.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

WASPI women demonstrating on Budget Day outside the Houses of Parliament about the lack of compensation n, Westminister, London, UK, October 30 2024.

Waspi women threaten to sue Government over pension compensation package worth £10.5 billion

Torrential rain falls above the taxi rank at Manchester Victoria Station, Manchester, England, UK. 20th February 2025.

'Danger to life' amber weather warning issued as heavy rain and deep floods set to hit UK

Monumental Pharaoh Thutmose II statues in Karnak Temple.

British archaeologist may have found second tomb of mysterious pharaoh just days after major discovery

French forensic police work on the site of a knife attack where a man is suspected of killing one person and seriously wounding two police officers in Mulhouse, eastern France on February 22, 2025.

Four arrested after one killed and several police officers injured in 'terror attack' in France

Long Row, Nottingham.

16-year-old boy arrested after teenager, 17, stabbed in front of shoppers in Nottingham Primark

Pope is 'still in critical condition'

Pope 'still in critical condition' and participated in Holy Mass with carers amid 'complex clinical picture'

Peter Reynolds, 79 and his wife Barbie, 75 have been arrested by the Taliban.

Retired British couple who run education programmes for mothers arrested by Taliban in Afghanistan

Palestinian children and journalists disperse as Israeli tanks enter the Jenin camp for Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank, on February 23, 2025.

Israel deploys tanks to Occupied West Bank for first time in two decades as Palestinians 'won't be allowed' to return

The leader of Germany's Conservative party has claimed victory in federal elections, as the far-right AfD party is on track to double their share of votes since 2021.

Conservative leader claims victory in German elections as far-right AfD come second

Jenny Hall

Body found in search for missing 23-year-old runner Jenny Hall

Long Row, Nottingham.

Boy, 17, stabbed in Nottingham Primark

Former defence secretary Penny Mordaunt told LBC that we must invest more in defence to secure peace in Ukraine.

'We have got to wake up' and spend more on defence, says ex-defence secretary Penny Mordaunt

Zelenskyy willing to step down as Ukraine's President 'immediately' if it 'brings peace or Nato membership'

Zelenskyy willing to step down as Ukraine's president 'immediately' if it 'brings peace or Nato membership'

UK Weather, London - 9 February 2020. Storm Ciara brings gale force winds and heavy rain to the London’s West End Theatreland district. Credit: Thamesfleet/Alamy Live News

Fresh amber alert as Met Office issues 'danger to life' warning with UK facing heavy rain and 70mph winds

Homeless asylum seeker starved to death while 'dangling from a London skylight for six days'

Homeless asylum seeker starved to death while 'dangling from skylight for six days'

Destruction in Kryvyi Rih, via The State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk

Russia launches 'aerial terror' on Ukraine, with the biggest drone attack of the war so far