Consumers should be vigilant of criminals attempting to use the Arcadia Group being placed into administration and Debenhams being liquidated as an opportunity to trick people into revealing personal or financial information.

Criminals will often use the publicity around these sorts of events as a chance to pose as a genuine organisation, including banks, police officers and retailers. Often the criminal will pretend to be from the impacted company, such as retailers which are part of the Arcadia Group and Debenhams, or claim they are dealing with an issue resulting from the collapse.

Fraudulent emails, phone calls, text or social media messages often claim to be able to help customers and assist with refunds and outstanding orders.

Using the Arcadia Group and Debenhams as a cover story, the criminal will then attempt to get the recipient to disclose personal or financial information, which they will then use for their own fraudulent purposes.

Consumers are urged to follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign:

* Arcadia Group owns the high street clothing retailers Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Topman, Topshop, Wallis and the out of town chain Outfit, which sells lines from the other group chains.