Due to lockdown, it seems likely that more people than ever will be doing their Christmas shopping online this year.

With this in mind, Staffordshire Police have issued advice for residents, on how they can avoid getting scammed online over the festive season.

Staffordshire Police Community Engagement Assistant Emma Ray has shared several tips on how to avoid scams.

These include ensuring the websites you visit are authentic and being extra careful over unexpected emails.

Their advice to avoid scams is as follows:

• Being asked to pay a company or individual you don't know for goods by bank transfer could be a sign of fraud. Pay by credit card as this gives you more protection.

• Make sure shopping websites are authentic by carefully checking the address is spelled correctly. Fraudsters are expert at setting up fake sites with spellings that are almost the same as the real ones.

• Make sure payment pages are secure by checking that the address begins with https (s is for secure).

• A 'free' or 'low-cost' trial could mean a subscription trap – luring you into monthly payments that are difficult to get out of. Read the small print before you agree to anything.

• Unexpected emails, texts or posts with links or attachments could be phishing – trying to get your confidential details or infecting your computer with malware.

They also pointed to the Get Safe Online website for more information on how to avoid common scams.

If you think you've been a victim of fraud you can report it to Action Fraud UK by visiting their website or by calling 0300 123 2040.