CUMBRIA Police has reminded people how to keep safe while online shopping.

The advice comes ahead of the busy Christmas period, with the force saying ‘the busiest time of year for online shopping is also the busiest time for online criminals’.

A Cumbria Police spokesman said: “Make sure payment pages are secure by checking that the address begins with https (s is for secure) and there’s a closed padlock in the address bar.

“Unexpected emails, texts or posts with links or attachments could be phishing. For example, would a parcel delivery notification really have a delivery note attached? 

“Paying a company or individual you don’t know for goods by bank transfer could be a sign of fraud. Always pay by credit card if you can.”