NEW RESEARCH shows that Gloucestershire Police received 3,144 individual fraud reports over the past 13 months. 

During this time, Action Fraud recorded 395,105 reports of individual fraud across England and Wales - with a reported loss of £2.3 billion. 89% of these reports were found to be filed by individuals.

The analysis was carried out by QR Code Generator QRFY. It looked at data from Action Fraud and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to uncover how many reports each police force had in England and Wales within the last 13 months.

Gloucestershire Police specifically recorded 3,144 individual fraud reports over the past 13 months. 

The most common category of fraud recorded by the police force was ‘Online Shopping and Auction’ fraud, which refers to the non-delivery of products bought by a consumer, or the intentional misrepresentation of a product. 

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

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

Marc Porcar, CEO of QRFY said: “The internet and widespread online connectivity has certainly created more opportunities for fraudsters to exploit people’s vulnerabilities. 

As more transactions and interactions occur online, there is a greater potential for individuals to fall victim to these kinds of scams. 

 “Fraudsters are constantly developing new techniques that trick people into handing over access to their personal accounts, or finances. 

Large-scale data breaches which expose peoples’ personal information, also make it easier for criminals to impersonate individuals or commit identity theft.”

Mr Porcar provided individuals with safety advice to avoid becoming the victim of fraud. He said people should: “Be cautious about sharing personal information online.

Only share information with trusted websites and be wary of unsolicited emails or phone calls requesting personal details. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is”. 

He added that individuals should monitor their accounts regularly, including their bank statements.

Always use strong passwords with two-factor authentication. This adds an extra layer of protection and security to your accounts.