You will probably be surprise to know that 25% of the population in UK has been a victim of online fraud and that the population of this country is more vulnerable than other European citizens, according to a study by the UK Fraud Prevention Month.

As online shopping keeps increasing, we should be more alert and take extra precautions in order to protect ourselves from fraud. These are some basic tips you should take into account:

• Know where you are shopping: this might seem obvious but it is one of the most important verifications to take. Do some research about the website you are shopping from: find the address and phone number for instance; and verify that buying and shipping address coincides. If these two differ, be suspicious.

• Do not open different websites while online shopping: this can lead to a fraud attack as hackers may follow your steps while shopping and mug you afterwards.