However, Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS), which oversees 60 advice bureaux, says more of us are at risk than we might have thought, and a new campaign will warn four groups of people most at risk of being conned out of cash.

CAS says people aged over 70 are most at risk, but three other groups are also likely to fall victim to scammers – young people aged 16 to 24, life established people aged 45 to 60 and socially isolated people of all ages.

The organisation has launched Scams Awareness Month, which begins tomorrow, in the hope of helping people to spot the dangers.

CAS has seen a sharp increase in the number of victims coming forward in the last year. Lucy Manson, a Community Action Team manager with the organisation, said: “Scams can happen by phone, by mail, online or on your own doorstep, and they can cost people hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

“We’ve seen a 24 per cent increase over the last year in people reporting scams to the Scottish CAB network. That shows how big the problem is, but it is also an encouraging sign that people are coming forward to talk about their experience of being scammed, because that is the way we are going to beat the scammers.

“So, our message throughout this month is that we all need to be vigilant and watch out for scams." And the key messages?

Take your time before making any decisions to part with your cash. Don’t be rushed into a decision.

Make sure you research the company first – for example by asking friends and family about them or researching them online.

Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

"If people are hit by a scam," Manson added, "they should talk about it to their friends and family and report it to the CAB service or to Trading Standards or the police, so we can warn other people about it.”

Advice on scams is available from the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06.

THE VULNERABLE GROUPS

Over-70s

The average age of reported scam victims is 75 and those over 70 have the highest losses from a range of scams, targeted by landline, phone and mail. CAS research found the average financial loss for those aged between 75 to 79 is £4,500. Although older people often report scams, they can lack confidence in their ability to protect themselves against scammers, which makes them more vulnerable.

CAS advice: Be wary of cold callers and thoroughly check the ID of tradespeople on your doorstep. Be cautious when answering the phone to an unknown caller or opening unexpected letters.

Life established

People aged 45 to 60 are targets because they are more likely to own their own home and have access to financial assets, making them a likely target of investment scams. Seven out of ten people with income exceeding £25,000 say they have been contacted by someone trying to scam them, compared with four of out ten of whose earnings are less than £9,500 per year, according to research by CAS. A third of all victims of scams are aged 41 to 60.

While the life established are targeted by a wide range of scams, they are most vulnerable to phishing and other banking scams, property scams and pension liberation scams.

CAS advice: Be wary of deals that use persuasive messaging to sell you ‘once in a lifetime’ deals.

Young people

As digital natives, young people are confident when using the internet, leading them to feel they are unlikely to fall for online scams that target them through social media and website advertising. They are often found to be victims of online scams, such as subscription traps, job scams and identity fraud. But they are least likely to report a scam – CAS research found that more than half of adults aged 18 to 24 would be unlikely to report being conned, making them the largest group who are unlikely to take any action when encountering a scam.

CAS Advice: Be cautious of pop-ups on social media and websites that take you to an unknown site.

Socially isolated

People who are socially isolated can be the hardest to reach and often can’t access the same support to protect themselves from scams as other groups. Although people who are socially isolated don’t always report scams, they can be badly affected, both mentally and financially. It has been reported that the names and addresses of approximately 300,000 people nationally are on lists which are being sold between criminals to use as targets for scams. CAS research has found that nine out of ten people on these target lists are unaware that they are being targeted. Often, people who are socially isolated are not able to connect to support or help to prevent this.