SHOPPERS in Herefordshire are urged to be cyber smart this Christmas as part of a new awareness campaign.

West Mercia Police this week launched its #BeCyberSmart campaign to raise awareness of internet-related crime and to give people the knowledge needed to protect themselves.

In West Mercia, from November 1 2013 until February 28 this year there were 279 reports of online shopping and auction fraud, with the amount lost adding up £191,102.

The first phase of the campaign focuses on online shopping and urges people to carry out a few simple safety checks before parting with their cash.

DCI Sean Paley, from Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police specialist operations unit, said: "Christmas is a special time for being with friends, family and exchanging gifts and if there is any chance of reducing the possibility of people being victims of heartless criminals the more we can do the better.

"We do not want to put people off using the internet to buy their gifts – if used safely it is an excellent resource – but we do want them to take some simple but effective steps to help protect themselves against falling victim to online crime."

He added that updating software and anti-virus systems can prevent people falling victim.

Police have joined forces with Get Safe Online to encourage people to follow its 12 online safety tips of Christmas.

For more information about staying safe online and the scams to look out for go to getsafeonline.org

Anyone who thinks they have been a victim of fraud can report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 20 40 or by visiting actionfraud.police.uk