Nearly half of Scots targeted by scammers in a year

The charity is launching a new “Scams Awareness” campaign with figures showing the scale of scams in Scotland, with 46 per cent of people saying they have been targeted at least once in the past year.

Of these, nearly one in three (30 per cent) say they were targeted more than three times.

The new CAS campaign runs for the next two weeks and aims to tackle stigma among Scots about reporting scams, urging them to stop, report and talk about them.

The charity also revealed that it gave out 1,038 pieces of advice about scams in 2018/19, an increase of 86 per cent from 2017/18.

In terms of reporting of scams, the network saw a 113 per cent increase from 2017/18 to 2018/19.

According to the YouGov survey conducted for CAS, the most common methods of scam were email (38 per cent), telephone (42 per cent) and online (10 per cent) scams.

The most common types of scam were computer and internet repairs (39 per cent), personal injury scams (38 per cent), fake tax refunds and online transaction scams (32 per cent).

A second survey, also conducted by YouGov, produced interesting findings about the issue of stigma and blame. Most Scots (71 per cent) believe those hit by scams should not be embarrassed about it, and 82 per cent say the main reason for scams is that scammers are clever in the way they present themselves.

Stigma can stifle conversations around protection against scammers and whilst the public believe scams victims shouldn’t be ashamed or embarrassed; there is still a huge issue with under-reporting of scams to advice services.

Launching the campaign, Citizens Advice Scotland chief executive Derek Mitchell said: “Scammers depend on us staying silent. The more we talk about them, the more aware people become, and the harder they will find it to scam the next person.

“The Citizens Advice network in Scotland helps and advocates for hundreds of thousands of people across Scotland every year.

“So that’s why the theme of our campaign this year is STOP, REPORT, TALK. And that’s my message to people across Scotland. If we work together we can beat the scammers. It’s time to do that. You can get information on how to spot scams from our website www.cas.org or from your local CAB.”

Cllr Kelly Parry, chair of the Board of Trading Standards Scotland, which is backing the campaign, said: “Scammers are extremely manipulative and are always on the lookout for new ways to con consumers out of money be it on the doorstep, by telephone, by mail or using the internet.

“Stay vigilant, if you are contacted and offered unsolicited goods or services and remember doesn’t feel rushed into making a decision. If you think you have been caught out by scammers, don’t suffer in silence and make sure you report your concerns. You are not alone; there is help and advice available.

“Trading Standards services and Citizens Advice Bureaux across the country are available to provide a wealth of advice and preventative measures to keep you and your loved ones safe.”