WARNINGS of the dangers of internet shopping are being put out by police after reports of a series of web scams.

Officers have seen two scams arise concerning Paypal accounts and Payment Protection Insurance (PPI).

The first scam involves people posing as fake buyers on sites such as e-Bay and Gumtree saying they will make a payment through PayPal.

Funds can be transferred into these accounts, eliminating the need to give out bank account numbers and making it more secure.

Criminals then send sellers false PayPal emails, claiming the funds will be paid into the account as soon as a tracking reference number is given.

The sellers then post off their property believing that the money is waiting to be transferred.

Detective Constable Greg Brunt, from the financial investigation unit, said: “This is probably the biggest of the purchasing cons that everyone falls for. But PayPal will never send an email asking for a tracking reference number.

“The best way to avoid being a victim is to not send any goods out until you can see the funds in your PayPal account.”

The second scam involves bogus PPI companies who call people insisting they are entitled to a claim. These criminals get victims to pay fees in the form of UKash vouchers or by transfer through Western Union.

If you have been a victim of web scammers call 101 or contact your Trading Standards department within your council.