EE has warned shoppers that there could be a record number of scams over the Christmas period.

The mobile network expects to block as many as 10 million scam texts next month, a significant increase on the nine million it handled last year.

It also forecasts nine million scam calls in the run up to Christmas, up from eight million in December 2023.

The predictions come as EE releases a new study which reveals one in four UK shoppers – over 12 million people – have fallen victim to fraud or have been targeted by scammers during the festive season.

The research covers all types of scams faced by Brits, including online shopping, calls, texts, online social media platforms, and fake websites.

Estimates from UK Finance put the total bill for Christmas fraud at close to £100 million, with EE’s security partners Norton estimating that each victim loses more than £1,000.

EE said that the most common scams over Christmas are: smishing, where scam delivery texts or emails are sent saying a parcel has been delayed with a false link to click; pressure scams, which are often accompanied by a countdown to force shoppers into hasty decisions; impersonation scams, also known as 'Hi Mum, Hi Dad' scams; E-card scams, used to trick shoppers into downloading malware; and website spoofing, where fake websites are created.

The company's research says that racing to get Christmas shopping done in time makes consumers prime targets for scammers, with 19 per cent of shoppers trying to get all their Christmas shopping done in one go, and a further one in 10 saying they leave it to the last minute.

The findings also show that Gen Z is roughly twice as likely as those aged 55 and over to click on links without checking them, with over half of the younger generation simultaneously saying they feel awkward about warning loved ones about scams.

"The festive season is the time of year consumers are most likely to be scammed and it’s even more important that people have the tools they need to guard against attempted scams," said Richard Wainter, regulatory affairs director at BT Group, which owns EE. “We know people are increasingly anxious that they or their loved ones will be targeted by scammers in the lead up to Christmas, but by raising awareness of some of the most common techniques and providing advice and services such as Scam Guard, we are determined to continue to protect consumers against fraudsters.”

---