Bargain hunters are being warned about scammers offering fake “clearance” and “closing down” deals as Wilko gets set to close its final stores across the UK in the coming weeks. 

Scammers often use store closures as a way to suck unsuspecting shoppers onto fake social media adverts or websites, Santander said.

In August alone, more than 5,000 disputes were raised, including those involving scammers imitating companies having closing-down sales, according to data from the major high-street bank

Wilko store closures have already been exploited in recent weeks by scammers, while criminals can also pretend to be offering "end-of-summer sales".

Shoppers lost nearly £100k in August due to scams

From the reported cases in August, shoppers lost a total of £85,000 meaning on average Brits were losing around £37 each due to scams.

Head of fraud risk management at Santander, Chris Ainsley, said: “Fraudsters see the news of large retailers closing shops as an opportunity to try and turbocharge their own closing down or clearance sale scams.

“We often see a worrying spike of this type of scam when an announcement like this is made public.

"If you see an advert for discounts which sound too good to be true, it probably is a scam. Even if the advert uses recognisable logos and brand names, people should be alert and ensure they are visiting genuine websites.”

What a scam looks like and how to avoid

Santander said there were a number of things to look out for when trying to spot a scam:

  • Scammers try to entice people by appearing to advertise heavily discounted products
  • Fake websites may only allow people to keep items in their basket for a short time period
  • While the payment screen may look legitimate and have the branding of a well-known provider, the website is not secure or legitimate and the payment is not processed by the official provider

These fake websites can harvest significant details from unsuspecting customers as part of the checkout process, including their address and email.

Santander is reminding people to always check where they are buying items from and remember that branding can be copied.

Santander said: "When buying online, check the payment pages are secure by looking for the padlock symbol in the address bar. The website should start with “https”.

"Follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign and, if you have any doubts, take a pause to think before parting with your personal details or money.

"A quick chat with a friend or relative can also be a good way to “sense check” what you are doing."