Mobile operator EE has warned anyone who is doing Christmas shopping to brace for a record wave of scams over the next month as cybercriminals look to take advantage of the festive period.

EE’s security experts said they expect to block more than 10 million scam texts and nine million scams in the run-up to Christmas, both up by a million on last year.

The mobile operator is warning that the additional urgency that can often arise when shopping in the run-up to Christmas is something scammers are keen to prey on.

In response, it has highlighted a number of scam tactics, including those which use time pressure or impersonation in an attempt to get money or personal information out of consumers.

How to avoid scams

The firm is urging shoppers to focus on a number of factors in order to protect themselves:

  • Creating strong passwords
  • Being vigilant to random calls from unknown numbers
  • Considering using encryption-based products
  • Being suspicious of web links from unknown sources
  • Checking all devices to ensure they have the most recent security updates installed
  • Not sharing personal information unnecessarily
  • Trusting their instincts

A new study by EE found that one in four UK shoppers have either been targeted or fallen victim to scammers during the festive period with EE’s security partners Norton estimating scam victims lose on average around £1,000 each.

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Richard Wainer, regulatory affairs director at BT Group, of which EE is a part, said: “Our commitment to protecting our customers against scams is unwavering.

“The festive season is the time of year consumers are most likely to be scammed and it’s even more important that people have the tools they need to guard against attempted scams.

“We know people are increasingly anxious that they or their loved ones will be targeted by scammers in the lead-up to Christmas, but by raising awareness of some of the most common techniques and providing advice and services such as Scam Guard, we are determined to continue to protect consumers against fraudsters.”