Scammers are getting wiser – and we need to wise up too

Financial scams are big business in the UK. A report from Experian last year suggested that fraud could cost the UK economy as much as £193 billion a year – though these scams come in many shapes and sizes. Analysis from Which suggests there were around 264,000 reported cases of fraud last year. This, however, is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg.

Barely a week goes by without reports of a new scam, whether it’s sudden demands to pay for the use of WhatsApp, suspicious emails supposedly from our bank, or fake ticket-selling websites. And, of course, these stories are accompanied by all sorts of advice on how to stay safe.

However, the fact remains that the first line of defence against all financial scams is ourselves. We have to take a little responsibility and think for ourselves. Is there anything obviously suspicious about what we are being asked to do?