Barclays: Stay vigilant on Black Friday

Barclays report suggests 72% of people living in Scotland will do most or all of their Christmas shopping on Black Friday

34% surge in Black Friday shopping scams last year

  • 72% of people living in Scotland will do most or all of their Christmas shopping on Black Friday
  • 44% of people living in Scotland will do most or all of their Black Friday shopping online
  • 56% of people living in Scotland say they plan to spend between £100 and £400 online shopping this Black Friday
  • After last year’s Black Friday sales, there was a 34 per cent surge in reported purchase scams, according to new Barclays data.
  • Victims lost on average £1,072 to purchase scams during the seasonal shopping period.

New data from Barclays suggests that 72% of people living in Scotland are likely to do all or most of their Christmas shopping on Black Friday with 56% saying they will spend between £100 and £400 on the day.

The figures also reveal that 36% of people living in Scotland will be relying on Black Friday sales more than previous years as they are looking to make savings wherever they can and 31% feel pressure to make purchases as quickly as possible to make sure they get the best deals.

A further 44% plan to do most or all of their Black Friday shopping online this year.

However, the number of reported purchase scams after Black Friday and Cyber Monday across the UK last year rose by 34 per cent, with an average of £1,072 lost to scammers.

Barclays data also shows that the proportion of scams taking place on tech platforms, such as purchase/auctions sites, social media, or dating apps, has increased by 71% since the beginning of 2021.  Currently 77% of all scams take place on these platforms, but at the beginning of 2021 it was just 45%.

With the average Brit expected to spend over £200 on shopping during Black Friday this year, Barclays is urging shoppers to take extra care when purchasing things online throughout the sales season.

The Bank’s findings reveal that worryingly, many consumers are changing their normal behaviour on Black Friday when searching for the best deals.  Almost a third (32%) across the UK feel pressured to make a purchase as quickly as possible to make sure they get the best deal.  

One in five (19%) said they were more likely to take note of a “too good to be true” deal, and a further 17% admitted to shopping on sites they haven’t heard of before if they have particularly good deals or sales.

Ross Martin, Head of Digital Safety at Barclays, said: “Whilst Black Friday is a great way for Brits to save money ahead of the Christmas season, it is important to stay vigilant when making purchases.

“This year more than ever, people will be looking for the best bargains, which could lead them right into the hands of scammers, who will be advertising false offers to lure victims in.

“Just remember – ignore any pressure that is being put on you – and if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Barclays is urging buyers to follow these four steps this Black Friday:

  1. Do your due diligence: Research and read reviews to check the site and the seller are genuine.
  2. View the item: If you can, view the item in person first to make sure it exists, especially if it’s a big purchase, like a smartphone or even a car.
  3. Get a second opinion: Always speak to someone you trust for a second opinion, whether it’s a friend, family member, or your bank.
  4. Be wary of unlikely offers: Many purchase scams offer huge discounts that you wouldn’t normally find at retailers you would normally trust. Remember, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

For more information, and tips to stay alert from the latest scams, please visit: www.barclays.co.uk/scams/.

New laws to better protect victims from abuse of intimate images

Victims will be better protected from abusers who share intimate images without their consent, under a raft of changes to the law announced today (25 November 2022).

  • new offences to be created in crackdown on abusers who share intimate images without consent
  • changes will strengthen law and deliver on Prime Minister’s pledge to outlaw ‘downblousing’
  • comprehensive package of measures to modernise legislation following Law Commission review

Under a planned amendment to the Online Safety Bill, people who share so-called ‘deepfakes’ – explicit images or videos which have been manipulated to look like someone without their consent – will be among those to be specifically criminalised for the first time and face potential time behind bars.

The Westminster government will also bring forward a package of additional laws to tackle a range of abusive behaviour including the installation of equipment, such as hidden cameras, to take or record images of someone without their consent.

These will cover so-called ‘downblousing’ – where photos are taken down a woman’s top without consent – allowing police and prosecutors to pursue such cases more effectively.

This will deliver on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s pledge to criminalise the practice, in line with previous measures this government has taken to outlaw ‘upskirting’.

Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab, said: “We must do more to protect women and girls, from people who take or manipulate intimate photos in order to hound or humiliate them.

“Our changes will give police and prosecutors the powers they need to bring these cowards to justice and safeguard women and girls from such vile abuse.

Today’s announcement builds on the campaign of Dame Maria Miller MP, as well as recommendations from the Law Commission, to introduce reforms to the laws covering the abuse of images.

The amendment to the Online Safety Bill will broaden the scope of current intimate image offences, so that more perpetrators will face prosecution and potentially time in jail.

The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, said: “I welcome these moves by the government which aim to make victims and survivors safer online, on the streets and in their own homes.

“I am pleased to see this commitment in the Online Safety Bill, and hope to see it continue its progression through Parliament at the earliest opportunity.”

Around 1 in 14 adults in England and Wales have experienced a threat to share intimate images, with more than 28,000 reports of disclosing private sexual images without consent recorded by police between April 2015 and December 2021.

The package of reforms follows growing global concerns around the abuse of new technology, including the increased prevalence of deepfakes. These typically involve the use of editing software to make and share fake images or videos of a person without their consent, which are often pornographic in nature. A website that virtually strips women naked received 38 million hits in the first 8 months of 2021.

The government will take forward several of the Law Commission’s recommendations to ensure legislation keeps pace with technology and can effectively tackle emerging forms of abuse.

This includes:

  • Repealing and replacing current legislation with new offences to simplify the law and make it easier to prosecute cases. This includes a new base offence of sharing an intimate image without consent and 2 more serious offences based on intent to cause humiliation, alarm, or distress and for obtaining sexual gratification.
  • Creation of 2 specific offences for threatening to share and installing equipment to enable images to be taken.
  • Criminalising the non-consensual sharing of manufactured intimate images (more commonly known as deepfakes).

The move builds on government action in recent years to better protect victims and bring more offenders to justice, including making ‘upskirting’ and ‘breastfeeding voyeurism’ specific criminal offences, extending ‘revenge porn’ laws to capture threats to share such images, and using the Online Safety Bill to create an offence specifically targeting ‘cyberflashing’.

Ruth Davison, CEO of Refuge, said: “Refuge welcomes these reforms and is pleased to see progress in tackling abuse perpetrated via technology. As the only frontline service with a specialist tech abuse team, Refuge is uniquely placed to support survivors who experience this form of abuse.

“We campaigned successfully for threatening to share intimate images with intent to cause distress to be made a crime, via the Domestic Abuse Act, and these reforms will further ensure police and law enforcement agencies rightly investigate and prosecute these serious offences.

“Tech abuse can take many forms, and Refuge hopes that these changes will signal the start of a much broader conversation on the need for strengthening the response to online abuse and harm.”

DCMS Secretary of State Michelle Donelan said: “Through the Online Safety Bill, I am ensuring that tech firms will have to stop illegal content and protect children on their platforms, but we will also upgrade criminal law to prevent appalling offences like cyberflashing.

“With these latest additions to the Bill, our laws will go even further to shield women and children, who are disproportionately affected, from this horrendous abuse once and for all.

“The government will bring forward the wider package of changes as soon as parliamentary time allows and will announce further details in due course.”

NHS Lothian public holiday next Monday

Monday 28th November is a public holiday for NHS Lothian.

This is in lieu of the local September public holiday, postponed for the national bank holiday for the Queen’s funeral. Please collect your prescription before the weekend.

If you need urgent help over the weekend, call NHS 24 on 111.

Shop ’til you drop at St James Quarter with unmissable deals and live entertainment

The countdown to Black Friday is now on and as shoppers in Edinburgh prepare to seek out this year’s best deals, St James Quarter has revealed the unmissable discounts that will be on offer across its exciting selection of retailers. 

Available throughout Black Friday weekend (from 25th – 28th November) and beyond, St James Quarter will play host to the biggest and best offers from top retailers including up to 40% off the latest fashion items at Zara (selected lines on 25th November), up to 20% off the hottest makeup, skincare and fragrance at H Beauty (between 25th – 28th November) and 50% off Neom’s ‘Night in with Neom’ Box for those who want to indulge in a little self-care (until 30th November).

For more information about all of the latest Black Friday deals on offer at St James Quarter click here.  

Shoppers can also enjoy the Black Friday feeling with live entertainment between 2pm – 6pm on Friday and Saturday from The Quarter’s very own resident DJs, Fi and Mairi Buchanan, who will be filling the Galleria with sounds of the best-known Christmas classics. 

Guests can shop til they drop before taking a moment to refresh with The Quarter’s impressive dining and leisure destinations including Ka Pao, The Alchemist, Lane7, Everyman Cinema and Tortilla which are open until late. The Quarter also recently welcomed back lively Alpine Village, Bar Hütte, to St James Square where visitors can enjoy a festive drink and singsong in one of its Cosy Karaoke Hüttes until 2nd January.  

Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter, said: “Black Friday marks the beginning of the festive shopping season and following the opening of some really exciting retailers this year, we expect there to be a real buzz at St James Quarter this weekend as our guests seek out the best deals and take advantage of our hospitality offering. 

“November has already been a strong month for us in terms of footfall, but at a time when we know saving money is important to our guests, we’re looking forward to a busy but no doubt successful day of deal-hunting, with plenty more festive activity still to come before the end of 2022.” 

With so many great deals on offer, nobody wants to be restricted by how many bags they can carry, and St James Quarter has the perfect solution with its handsfree shopping service, Dropit, which allows shoppers to drop bags at Guest Services for later collection or, have them delivered straight to their door (for guests who live in Scotland). 

For those looking for a more relaxed approach to Black Friday, the St James Quarter website offers Crowd Checker, which provides shoppers with live capacity updates to help guests find quieter times to visit.

The Quarter also has a 1,600 space car park, which offers all day and overnight parking, allowing more convenience for shoppers travelling by car. 

During the festive period, selected retailers at St James Quarter will also be extending their opening hours on certain days. 

Appeal for information following serious crash on Calder Road

Road Policing officers in Edinburgh are appealing for information following a serious crash involving a pedestrian, which took place on Calder Road.

The incident happened around 7.35am this morning (Thursday, 24 November) involving a white Ford Transit van and a 19-year-old woman.

The woman was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh with serious, but not life-threatening injuries. The male driver of the van was uninjured.

The road was closed until around 11.45am as an investigation was carried out. Further enquiries into the incident remain ongoing and officers are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

Sergeant Jill Kirkpatrick, from the Edinburgh Road Policing Team, said: “If you witnessed this incident, have any potential dashcam footage, or were in the area and have any information which may assist our enquiries, please call police on 101, quoting incident 0489 of 24 November, 2022.”

Indian Student Welcome Event

Indian Student Welcome Event hosted by Consulate General of India along with Indian National Student’s Association (UK).

By Sakshi Jain (INSA member and graduate from University of Glasgow)

The Consulate General of India (CGI) in Edinburgh, in partnership with INSA (Indian National Student Association), organised a Welcome event for new Indian Students in Scotland over the weekend; here is a report from an INSA UK member.

Consul General of India Mr Bijay Selvaraj hosted a welcome event at his office in the capital city of Scotland, in collaboration with INSA with its mission of “Creating a home away from home” for new students who have stepped into Scotland. The programme was joined by Indian students from various levels and subjects of study from major Scottish universities. “Unity in Diversity” was at full display at the event, as these students represented various states and languages of India.

The event started with a brief introduction of INSA and their mission by Mr Kishore Dattu, head of INSA North. He highlighted the work that INSA has undertaken to support Indian students in UK, the prominent role they had played during the pandemic, and encouraged people to get involved to help fellow students from the Indian community.

Miss Sakshi Jain, founding member of INSA chapter at University of Glasgow, shared her experience of being a member of INSA and how it has enabled her to help fellow Indian students at her university and fulfil INSA’s crucial motto of contributing back to the Indian community.

Rt Honourable Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh Robert Aldridge was the chief guest of this evening, who highlighted how Edinburgh is open for all international students. He expressed how he had something in common with all the students present in the hall since he was once an international student.

He emphasized the importance of having a support network and suggested more student to get involved with INSA. He also shed light in Scotland’s and India’s common heritage and the link between India and Edinburgh.

Mr. Karan Patil gave a very inspiring speech to the students who attended the event. His words – “Work towards creating a solution for a social problem. Make sure your solution reaches the entire world.” made quite an impression on the audience.

Professor Pankaj’s words – “I believe that a diverse classroom, a classroom which has students from all nationalities enriches both research and education”, resonated deeply throughout the room. He also shared valuable insights into India and Scotland’s continued partnership to improve education, culture, and industry.

His Excellency Shri Bijay Selvaraj, Consulate General of India in Edinburgh, made the keynote address, expressing his support for Indian students across the United Kingdom, particularly in Scotland. He underlined the significance of adhering to safety standards and being responsible while in the United Kingdom. He also extended a warm welcome to all of the students and assured them of his assistance in their time of need.

Mr. Puneet Dwivedi offered the vote of thanks. He expressed his gratitude to the Consulate General of India and all the dignitaries in the room for hosting the event and sharing their valuable knowledge and experience with the Indian students.

The students also had the opportunity to network and enjoy a delicious Indian dinner organised by the Consulate General.

The event was anchored by Miss Krithika Iyer, who is a student at University of Glasgow.

 Miss Sakshi Jain

Winter wellbeing: How to stay positive when things seem pretty bleak

Psychologists give advice and tips this winter

Holding on to small moments of joy and positivity is going to be particularly important this winter, with the cost of living and energy crises likely to continue making things difficult for people across the UK.

Psychologists from the British Psychological Society have given their advice and tips for finding the light this winter when things are feeling tough.

“We often see a rise in people feeling down or struggling as winter hits, particularly after the clocks go back, making our evenings darker, and as the cold weather begins to bite”, says Dr Joan Harvey, a chartered member of the BPS.

“This year we have more stresses and challenges than normal, with the cost of living crisis causing incredibly difficult decisions for people as they struggle with soaring prices. Increased stress in the run up to Christmas is normal, and this year even more so with budgets stretched and many re-assessing their plans.

“We hear a lot about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which people sometimes experience during the winter months, and this year we might expect to see more people struggling with a combination of SAD and cost of living induced stress and worry,” adds Dr Harvey.

“There are things that we can do to manage our mental health this winter. While these tips will not tackle the incredibly difficult challenges and choices they have to make, I hope they will serve to help a few people.”

  • Set small goals and targets – don’t try and set yourself massive to-do lists or targets, but instead keep goals small and achievable. The sense of achievement from achieving your targets and goals can be a real boost.
  • Get as much daylight as possible – where you can, get outside in daylight hours for a walk or some fresh air, the more light the better. If you have flexible hours at work try to schedule some time in for a walk on your lunchbreak.
  • Lamps similar to daylight – these can be really effective if you are struggling to get enough daylight and it is impacting your mood. These can come on in the morning in time to wake you up, or they can be used in the evening.
  • Manage expectations around seasonal festivities – for many, this year will pose a really difficult financial challenge. A way to combat some of the problems we are all facing might be to go for more personalised presents, including some that you can make yourself. Anything practical can help us feel more hopeful about what we can achieve and for less money too.
  • Seek support if you are struggling – if you are struggling then do reach out to either a friend, family member or your GP. There is support out there and you don’t have to struggle through on your own.

Black Friday: Cybersecurity expert’s top tips for safely shopping online

The busiest time of year for shopping is fast approaching and there are many deals to be had. However, it’s important to keep ourselves safe from hackers and scammers that target online shoppers. 

Online safety expert Chris Bluvshtein at VPNOverview.com gives his top ten tips for keeping yourself safe while shopping online during the holidays. 

Stick to websites you know 

You might be tempted by a Google link promising an amazing deal but before you click, look at the name. If it’s not something you recognise, don’t go there. Hackers can use similar names to high-street brands to trick you into giving up your data so double check the site is the one you know. Google also tells you if you’ve visited the site before so it’s worth taking your time and checking for those details. 

Check the URL bar 

Every website should have a valid security certificate and you can tell by the little padlock icon next to the URL. If a website doesn’t have one of these then don’t give your bank details or valuable information. 

Check your bank statements 

You might not even be aware of your details being stolen until it’s too late, but by making it a habit to check your account and statements you’ll be able to catch any suspicious activity early on. Your bank will have information on any time limits they have for fraudulent purchases, so be sure to keep an eye on your statements. 

Use a password manager 

The safest thing you can do is use a unique, randomised password for all your accounts. But instead of writing those down on post-it notes or in notebooks, use a password manager to keep them all in one place. Password managers lock your information behind a master password and many of them autofill the website logins for you, keeping you safe from keylogger attacks. 

Don’t shop on public Wi-Fi 

You might be tempted to hop onto your favourite shopping site while having a coffee at your local cafe, but that public wi-fi connection is extremely dangerous to use. Public Wi-Fi rarely has safety protocols such as passwords in place and hackers can piggyback and steal unsecured banking details and sensitive information without you knowing.  

Use mobile payments 

Apps like Apple Pay and Google Pay can protect your banking details so if a website accepts them, it’s best to use them instead of your debit card. 

Use a credit card 

If something is high value, don’t use your debit card to pay for it. Consumer law in the UK means that you could get refunds or claim your money back if your card is stolen. Credit cards also have more protections than debit cards. 

Set up a temporary bank account 

By opening an online only bank account such as Revolut or Monzo, you can control the amount of money you have access to with transfers from your usual account. This way, even if your details are compromised, the hacker can’t do anything to your real bank account. 

Use a VPN 

A VPN protects your data from prying eyes. Everything you send is encrypted so even if a hacker can see you on a network, they won’t be able to access your sensitive information. VPNs connect you to a remote server and hide your IP, using one along with any of our other tips can make your online shopping super secure. 

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is! 

Be careful with any adverts for amazing deals. You might never get the item or there could be hidden dangers. This old saying still rings true with online shopping. 

Royal National Institute of Blind People: A letter from Santa

Dear Editor,

With the winter nights drawing in, there’s no doubt that Christmas is fast approaching. In the North Pole, Santa and his elves are busy getting ready to give every child a magical Christmas.

Santa is once again expecting to receive millions of letters from children around the world with endless lists of what they’d like to receive in their stockings when the big day arrives.

To ensure children living with a vision impairment in the UK get a reply from Santa, he has teamed up with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to make his letters available in accessible formats, including audio and large print.

This year, Santa’s friends at card company Hallmark have also helped him write replies in braille so every child with a vision impairment can read their letter independently.

Last year, the elves sent more than 1,400 letters from Santa to blind and partially sighted children across the UK, helping them experience the same magic of Christmas as sighted children.

If you know a child who has a vision impairment and who would love to receive a letter from Santa, please send their Christmas letter to: Santa Claus, RNIB, Northminster House, Northminster, Peterborough, PE1 1YN. 

Santa can receive letters through his email address. Email santa@rnib.org.uk by Tuesday 20 December for an email response with a large print attachment. 

Letters can also be requested through RNIB’s website at www.rnib.org.uk/santa. Postal letters and website requests need to be sent by Friday 2 December.

On behalf of Santa, his elves and all at RNIB, we wish you a Merry Christmas!

Michael Owen