New figures obtained by Scamwise NI have revealed that over £240,000 has been lost across Northern Ireland in January due to scams.
Data from Scamwise shows that people fell victim to a total of 68 scams that were reported to the PSNI last month, with a total of £243,346 being taken.
Internet and phone scams once again account for the biggest number of scams reported - with 64 phone scams and 73 internet scams reported.
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The figures also show the age breakdown of those who fell victim to any of these scams. The largest percentage of victims fell in the 19-39 age range at 40%, followed by the 40-59 group at 30%.
Chair of ScamwiseNI Partnership, Chief Superintendent Gerard Pollock said the figures show just how ruthless scammers are.
Chief Superintendent Pollock said: “We should never lose sight of the fact that behind every loss, no matter what it has been, is a person or a business owner who has been taken advantage of in the most despicable and callous way. In some cases, the impact of the scam has life-long consequences.
“All scams are an attempt to get your personal details, such as your name, address, date of birth and who you bank with for your loss and their gain. This can then be used to commit a more sophisticated scam where the losses can be substantial. For some time we have been warning that more and more often now we see people losing money as a result of telephone and internet based scams, and these figures really tell that story. We all get them, the suspicious looking text message, the odd looking email or that phone call that doesn’t sound just right, so it’s important to be able to spot a scam. "
The best way to stop this scam is to apply these five important rules:
1) Never click on links in text messages from someone you do not know;
2) Never call or text suspicious numbers back;
3) Never ever transfer money to someone you do not know or have not met;
4) Always delete texts requesting personal or financial information or bank account details;
5) Always forward scam texts to 7726 – the free scam text reporting service.
If you have been a victim of a scam, report it to police on online at www.psni.police.uk/makeareport or call on 101, to your bank immediately, online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
Information and advice is also available at http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/scamwiseni or the ScamwiseNI Facebook page @scamwiseni
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