This June, Citizens Advice is running a national campaign to raise public awareness of scams and help people to take action against these crimes.

Sadly, scams and fraud seem to have become an everyday part of life with phishing emails and scam texts all too common. In fact, Citizens Advice research shows that nearly three-quarters of people have been targeted by scammers in the past two years.

Some scams are relatively small and often go unreported but these crimes can still have a big impact on people’s lives. The average loss across all scams is £395, which is certainly not an insignificant amount of money for people who may already be struggling to make ends meet.

Citizens Advice has reported that victims of scams are more likely to be older and these crimes can results in people losing their entire life savings. Those aged 61–80 are more likely to be victims of investment fraud, which has an average loss to victims of £10,500.

The Citizens Advice website offers free advice and helps victims of scams to find a way forward. You can also contact Citizens Advice for free consumer advice, including advice on scams, on 0345 04 05 06.

By having the knowledge and confidence to spot, report and talk about scams, we can take a united stand against these crimes.