Thousands falling victim to frauders every year in South Yorkshire, new figures show

Over the last 13 months, 6,643 individuals have contacted Action Fraud, the national agency which is the first point of contact for reporting such crime, from the county.

That averages more than 18 victims every day who have been scammed, and the total could be higher, because it is acknowledged that not all victims report offences.

Analysis of statistics shows the biggest problem was goods bought through online shopping sites and auctions failing to turn up, with 1,500 complaints made, followed by 667 advance fees being taken fraudulently from people, and 581 who had lost out as a result of having emails or social media hacked.

The numbers have been crunched by QRFY, a firm which produces QR codes, and they warn people to use only trusted websites, beware of unsolicited emails and make sure their personal security is strong.