It comes as Barclays is urging people to be careful after a 17 percent rise in reported frauds in three months.
The increase is partly due to con artists becoming “expert behavioural manipulators”, says Dr Pete Brooks.
Barclay’s chief behavioural scientist said: “Scammers create a perceived scarcity in what they are selling to motivate consumers to act quickly and not rely on their better judgment.
“This might be advertising something as a ‘one-time offer’, a limited-edition price or availability, or rushing us into buying something that ‘has’ to be bought now”.
Purchase scams, where people buy goods online that don’t exist or never arrive, account for 53 percent of frauds, with an average value of £980.
Barclays advises customers to read reviews of the website before committing to a purchase and says if you have concerns, take the time to check before buying the item.
Research by the bank also found investment scams are the most lucrative for fraudsters, with £15,788 lost on average.
Three in 10 people admitted they would plump for an investment or savings provider they’d never heard of if they thought returns would be higher than their existing one. A further two in 10 said they were unsure, indicating they could still be convinced.
Sian McIntyre, Barclays UK head of economic crime, said: “Fraudsters really are expert social manipulators and prey on human nature.
“If you are ever unsure, take the time you need to respond in the right way.”
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “We know that many of the victims are older people.
“The fraudsters are extremely clever and it’s easy to be caught out. If you lose your life savings, it can wreck your prospects of a comfortable retirement.”
