Shoppers are being warned to be wary of opportunistic scams this Christmas by Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards team.

The safest way to avoid the disappointment of being ripped off or receiving broken, substitute or poor quality gifts to give as Christmas presents, is to buy goods from genuine, established shops and businesses, say officers.

However, with more and more people opting to buy presents online, Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards team are urging people to be cautious before entering their payment details on websites or giving them over the phone.

Cornwall Council’s cabinet member for public protection Sue James said: “Remember, if an offer in your email or text inbox sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  It pays to be wary and to treat anything suspicious in the same cautious way that you would any unexpected emails or texts offering to save you money.”

Scams can be reported on 03454 040506, with advice on the latest scams and how to avoid them available via the actionfraud.police.uk website