Black Friday sales always attract thousands of shoppers looking to bag the bargains before Christmas.

In the US, the event usually marks the start of the festive shopping period, and the practice was later adopted by us Brits.

But now the period tends to last for more than a day, and it's an excuse for many shops and online marketplaces to slash the prices of much-wanted goods before the cheerful period kicks in.

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Many people are looking for ways to cut back the pennies this year as the cost of living crisis is hitting families hard across the UK.

This is why even more people will be looking to see what bargains they can bag this Black Friday, but people have been warned the sales are not always as good as they seem.

According to Mirror, the deals can often be cheaper nearer to Christmas.

Even though some bargains seem too good to turn down, there's always the chance they can be further reduced later down the line, and Brits have also been warned scammers are doing the rounds.

Shoppers have been told to be cautious of online shopping scams this Black Friday – especially when it comes to buying clothes, shoes and games consoles.

At Lloyds Bank, experts said the risk for online customers is set to jump by a third as the sales event draws closer.

Banks say the biggest risk to costumers involves purchase scams, which sees someone being tricked into sending money directly to someone else’s account via bank transfer.

So far this year this type of scam has already jumped by 14%, and the average victim has lost £500.

Such scams are popular on platforms like Instagram and Facebook Marketplace, as victims are enticed with the promise of reduced or hard-to-find goods.

Purchase scams are the most common type of authorised fraud, and people between the ages of 25 and 34 are most likely to fall victim.

According to bank, the rate of these frauds around Black Friday and Cyber Monday usually appear 29% higher than normal.

Research also shows buying different items creates different risks.

People who have fallen victim to scams by buying clothes were up by 646%, and they've been losing £193 on average.

Lloyds told people to be particularly careful when buying jackets and tracksuits.

As well as this, cases involving shoes and trainers rose by 291%, with £148 being the amount of average loss.

It's also been reported Nike is one of the most popular brands used to draw victims in.

Fraud associated with the purchase of gaming consoles has also seen a rise of 172%, with shoppers losing £176 to scammers on average.

Several cases have involved the Nintendo Switch or Sony Playstation 5, as both appear to be in short supply by usual go-to retailers.

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