Suffolk shoppers are being warned this Black Friday and Cyber Monday as online scammers seek to target customers.

This year the two discount days take place on Friday, November 29 and Monday, December 2. 

Suffolk Trading Standards is asking that people take care when hunting for online bargains as the countdown to these dates start.

As this is the time scammers will be looking to prey on unsuspecting shoppers that want the best bargain, Suffolk Trading Standards said.

Fake clothing or high-end tech listings on social media among the ways they scam people. 

Suffolk Trading Standards has now issued guidelines for shoppers this includes buying from traders you know and trust, do some research this could mean looking at reviews or website quality, always use a secure form of payment with credit cards being the most secure and don't click on strange or unfamiliar links. 

This comes after last Christmas people in the UK were scammed out of more than £11.5million, figures show, almost £1m more than in the same period in 2022. 

Graham Crisp, head of Suffolk Trading Standards, said: “Most people like a bargain and online scammers are all too happy to take advantage of that.

“We would urge people to follow our guidelines so that they know what they are looking at online and whether it might be suspicious.” 

Black Friday originally started in America but has grown popularity in the UK and although starting as a single day of discounts it now runs for several weeks. 

Cyber Monday is always the first Monday after Black Friday and also started in America. 

It is the biggest shopping event of the year and billions of pounds are spent. 

Steve Wiles, Suffolk County Council cabinet member for public protection, said: “I would strongly recommend people to follow the advice from Suffolk Trading Standards.

“The saying ‘If it looks too good to be true it probably is’ certainly applies when it comes to shopping online and I would urge people to enjoy bargain hunting but do so wisely.”