Shoppers warned of Black Friday scams and to be aware of Vat on goods outside EU

Bank of Ireland urged consumers to beware of pop-up adverts on social media feeds or adverts about online marketplaces

Bank of Ireland's head of fraud, Nicola Sadlier, said: 'It’s only natural that consumers will be on the lookout to snap up the latest bargains over the coming weeks, but our advice continues to be that if it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.' File photo

Consumers have been warned to be aware of scams heading into the busy shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and also to be wary of additional Vat or customs duty if buying from outside the EU.

Bank of Ireland said as purchasing reaches peak levels in the weeks ahead, fraudsters aim to take advantage of increased online retail traffic by targeting key gifting categories of electronics, beauty products, and clothing.