Figures reveal that 2020 was the year of the scam as cases rocketed by 66%. According to research by Barclays, the last six months of the year racked up a record breaking increase compared with the first half as fraudsters cashed in on uncertainty during the pandemic.
Copycat websites accounted for 29% of the rip-offs as cyber crooks fleeced Brits by impersonating brand names online and setting up fake accounts to dupe shoppers.
And scams urging customers to move their money to a “safe” bank account amid false claims that fraud had been detected made up 22% of incidents.
The study found more than half of people who have been victims of scams are too embarrassed to report the crime. Have you been a victim of a lockdown scam?