A FINANCIAL expert has warned shoppers of common Valentine’s Day scams and how to ensure you’re not a victim of them.

On Valentine’s Day, millions of people look to save money on deals when gift shopping, which many scammers will use as a prime opportunity to target the vulnerable.

Tobias Robinson, CEO of broker and trading platform DayTrading.com said there are six very common scams which residents should be aware of. Read below for his tips to stay safe from scams this Valentine’s Day.

Fake Amazon product reviews are usually over-packed with technical jargon and feature unusual phrases.

However, it is in fact humans that are promoting these in exchange for payment from the product manufacturer.

There are 'review exchange' clubs online, normally on social media sites, where sellers on sites like Amazon will offer goods in return for overly generous comments-often ones that are extremely misleading.

Therefore, if you want to get a more accurate review of a product, compare reviews of the same product on several other official retailers before you purchase.

Once you’ve bought items online, you may think that everything is fine and you haven’t been caught in a scam. However, a common tactic that scammers use is to email shoppers to say their billing information is incorrect, and that it needs changing immediately or the order will be void, creating panic and stress, leading to shoppers passing on their information.

If a retailer asks you to change your bank details with urgency and claims there is a risk of losing out on an order you have made, then you should always be suspicious.

Essentially, they are hoping to draw you into entering your bank details into a fake website that they have made to look real.

Regardless of whether you believe your bank details are correct or not, you should contact the retailer directly with any order confirmation or information so you can receive legitimate information on your account.

Valentine’s Day is all about spending money on your partner or loved ones, therefore many retailers will be enticing you with great deals; however, certain popular items are advertised on fake websites that are generally hard to find.

These items turn out to be illegitimate and it will result in you paying for a product you will never receive - and the scammer now possesses your payment details as well as having some payment already.

If you come across an item like this, check the legitimacy of the product or the seller through the Business Bureau who will verify.

Social media profiles are simple to impersonate so this is a common scam that is used by scammers, as all a scammer must do is copy their logo, branding, hashtags, and content.

This mode of communication can trick customers into giving personal information or data in order to sell counterfeit products. Many will direct message their target under the guise of having a deal or wanting to send a free sample of a product in exchange for getting data and financial details from you.

You can often spot if a social media website is fake through its aggressive advertising campaigns. Always check if there is an alternative official social media account which is verified or has more followers before clicking on the one you have come across.

During Valentine’s Day, brands will be using all kinds of channels to market and sell their products.

However, when a product falls out of a brand’s authorized network, they will no longer have control, this is known as the ‘grey market’.

When this happens, unauthorized sellers may not properly display, package, handle, or ship them correctly. Therefore, returning or exchanging the product will be a lot more difficult and you face losing out on not just the product but also your money. Even if it means paying a bit more money, you should go through verified channels as this ensures your purchases are protected.

Gift cards are a convenient Valentine’s Day gift if you’re shopping for someone who’s hard to buy for, or someone who likes full control over what they receive. That’s why scammers will offer gift cards at a discount nearer Valentine’s Day, but these cards are either empty or stolen.

You should only buy gift cards from reputable sources, such as the retailer’s official store or online website.

Similarly, discounts and coupons received via email or social media that are advertised as huge discounts, can also be void. Therefore, verify the source of the coupon to ensure its validity before using it.