Most common type of fraud reported to Lancs Police revealed

The analysis, carried out by QR Code Generator QRFY, looked at data from Action Fraud and the Office for National Statistics to uncover how many reports each police force received in England and Wales over the past 13 months.

Over the past 13 months, Action Fraud recorded 395,105 reports of individual fraud across England and Wales, with a reported loss to victims of £2.3 billion.

Of these 89 per cent, 351,451, were found to be filed by individuals.

Lancashire Police recorded 7,364 individual fraud reports over the past 13 months.

QRFY also analysed the different types of fraud, with the most common category of fraud recorded by Lancashire Police being ‘Online Shopping and Auction’ fraud.

This refers to the non-delivery of products bought by a consumer or the misrepresentation of a product.

The second most common category of fraud reported was ‘Other Advance Fee Fraud'.

Following in third was 'Hacking - Social Media and Email’, which refers to instances where an individual's social media and email accounts are accessed illegally.

Three most commonly reported fraud offences in Lancashire

1. Online Shopping and Auctions, with 1,600 reported

2. Other Advance Fee Fraud, with 703 reported

3. Hacking - Social Media and Email, with 625 reported

Lancashire Police's website advises people to follow '10 golden rules' to prevent fraud:

• Be suspicious of all ‘too good to be true’ offers and deals. There are no guaranteed get-rich-quick schemes
• Don’t agree to offers or deals immediately. Insist on time to get independent or legal advice before making a decision
• Don’t hand over money or sign anything until you’ve checked someone’s credentials and their company’s
• Never send money to anyone you don’t know or trust, whether in the UK or abroad, or use methods of payment you’re not comfortable with
• Never give banking or personal details to anyone you don’t know or trust. This information is valuable so make sure you protect it
• Always log on to a website directly rather than clicking on links in an email
• Don’t just rely on glowing testimonials. Find solid, independent evidence of a company’s success
• Always get independent or legal advice if an offer involves money, time or commitment
• If you spot a scam or have been scammed, report it and get help
• Don’t be embarrassed about reporting a scam. Because the scammers are cunning and clever there’s no shame in being deceived. By reporting it, you'll make it more difficult for them to deceive others