Anyone who is carrying out their Christmas shopping online this year needs to make sure they take safety precautions when using their credit cards.

The UK Cards Association explained that with 14 per cent more expected to be spent online this year, consumers need to be more vigilant than ever.

Efforts have been made by the banking industry to make customers more aware of the risks they face, resulting in a 40 per cent fall in card fraud losses over the past two years.

However, women are statistically more likely to fall victim to a scam than men, leading the UK Cards Association to offer some tips on how to stay safe.

It recommends installing anti-virus software, as well as looking for a padlock symbol, which tends to denote that a website is reputable.

Other ideas include registering cards with Verified by Visa, MasterCard SecureCode or American Express SafeKey.