Everywhere you look at the moment, you see adverts for upcoming sales. Sometimes, Black Friday and Cyber Monday ‘deals’ seem too good to be true.

How can you be sure you are getting a good deal in these sales and not being scammed?

Everyone likes to bag a bargain. The long run-up to Christmas is the busiest time of the year for spending, but it is also a busy time for cyber criminals, who use the spike in spending to disguise their scams as legitimate shopping sites.

You need to be aware that there are risks when buying online and that scammers will try to tempt consumers with special offers, fake reviews and sought-after items at rock bottom prices. The good news is that there are ways you can protect yourself and shop safely.

Here are Citizens Advice’s top five tips to make sure you don’t end up with more, or less, than you bargained for during this busy shopping season.

First, make sure you don’t feel rushed. Scammers often create a sense of urgency by claiming it’s a limited offer or price, which encourages you to act without taking as much time as you need to consider the purchase.

Second, know who you are buying from. If buying from a company you have not used before, check out reviews and previous customers’ feedback. If in doubt, don’t buy.

Third, be wary of suspicious web links. These may direct you to fake (but realistic-looking) websites. It is better to type in the website address yourself.

Fourth, don’t share one-time codes that you are sent while shopping online. These codes are used to confirm that you are the one making the purchase, so don’t share them with anyone.

Fifth, avoid paying anyone you don’t know by bank transfer. Paying by credit card for single items costing £100 or more gives you legal protection if the goods do not arrive or are faulty, or do not match the description.

Paying by credit or debit card for orders costing less than £100 also gives you some protection using your card provider’s voluntary ‘Chargeback’ scheme.

If you are worried that something you have seen online might be a scam., you can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Line by calling 0808 223 1133, or visit our national website for more information.

If you need further help tailored to your particular situation, Citizens Advice can offer you independent and confidential support.

In St Albans, we can be reached on 01727 811118 from 10am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 1pm on Friday.

Or you can call the Herts Adviceline on 0800 144 8848 between 10am and 9pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am and 8pm on Thursday and Friday and 10am and 4pm on Saturday.