Fraudsters steal more than £1m from members of the public in Northern Ireland during March and April

Hands typing on a laptop keyboard
Fraudsters collected most of the funds through communication networks using phones, social media, emails or text messages.

More than £1m has been lost to scammers in Northern Ireland over the course of the last two months.

In March police said they received reports of losses in the region of £612,000, while in April around £690,00 was lost.

Fraudsters collected most of the funds through communication networks using phones, social media, emails or text messages.

Chief Superintendent Gerard Pollock said the staggering statistics illustrate how ruthless scammers are. “Behind each loss, no matter the amount, is someone or a business owner who has been taken advantage of in the most despicable and callous way," he explained.

"For some, the impact is devastating.”In terms of the types of scams, police said there have been three common features.

They advised that members of the public should be wary of:

  • Investment opportunities that seem too good to miss

  • Most have involved cryptocurrency in some form

  • Most have started with a small investment initially, before snowballing into thousands

Chief Superintendent Pollock added: “Due to the advances in technology, criminals can now access people's banking and personal data.

"Anyone can be targeted by a scam, and criminals will constantly change how they present their scam to lure people in.

"We know, however, what all scammers aim to do is access personal and financial details.“The end goal is to get your personal details, such as your name, address, date of birth and who you bank with for your loss and their gain. This can then be used to commit a more sophisticated scam where the losses can be substantial."Police said the best way to stop this scam is to apply these rules:1) Never click on links in text messages from someone you do not know2) Never call or text suspicious numbers back3) Never ever transfer money to someone you do not know or have not met4) Always delete texts requesting personal or financial information or bank account details5) Always forward scam texts to 7726 – the free scam text reporting serviceIf you have been affected by a scam and would like to share your story with UTV please email news@u.tv

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.