CHRISTMAS shoppers are being urged to remain vigilant while spending their cash online as police warn the festive period is "prime time" for scammers.

The advice was issued ahead of the busiest online shopping days of the year. Both Black Friday - today - and Cyber Monday - on November 28 - see retailers slash their prices and entice spenders with special offers.

Figures from last year's festive period revealed that fraudsters made more than £10m in online scams by targeting Christmas shoppers.

Detective Constable John Robinson said: "Many people in the county will no doubt be looking to take advantage of some of the deals on offer for Black Friday.

"However, we would urge people to be vigilant, particularly when dealing with a retailer they do not already know and trust.

"People should also have a healthy suspicion of some deals which appear too good to be true."

Officers were keen to highlight the growing trend of criminals using social media to target potential victims with apparently attractive deals.

One victim made last year's headlines after they lost £86,000 when they tried to buy a boat from a fraudster on eBay.

Experts have suggested keeping a check on bank statements, and monitoring withdrawals and payments carefully can help.

DC Robinson added: "We would urge people to keep a regular check on their bank account.

"Some cyber fraud is not immediately apparent - fraudsters could wait days of weeks before they being targeting your account and often take a number of small payments over time rather than a single large withdrawal.

"Don't put yourself at risk by taking unnecessary risks for a bargain this weekend."

According to national figures, 12,142 said they had been bitten by online shopping fraud last Christmas period with 133 saying they had been defrauded on Black Friday and 115 on Cyber Monday.

Criminals can use scam emails, fake ads on social media or internet searches promising heavy discounts to trick people into visiting fake websites and entering their card details.

Once fraudsters harvest this information, they use victims' details to go on shopping sprees.

You can report fraud and scams to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.

If you have been affected by this issue and would like to share your story, please get in touch by calling 01229 840 132 or email news.em@cnmedia.co.uk.