Angus Citizens Advice Bureau has warned that young people in the county are falling foul of scams.
The organisation is now urging others to remain vigilant to “protect themselves against those who would steal their money”.
Angus CAB is in the second week of Scams Awareness Month, the campaign that aims to encourage local people to spot, avoid and report scams.
This week the campaign is focusing on people under the age of 30 which is a group which has been seeing an increase in fraud during the last few years.
Elizabeth Montgomery-Fox, volunteer development officer, said young people are also more vulnerable to certain types of scam, like subscription traps, identity fraud, job scams, ticketing scams and general online fraud.
“Our campaign began last week,” she said.
“We used social media to bring to the message to people’s attention and have information and advice available in our offices.
“Scams can hit anyone at any time, and our general message is to be wary, to challenge any trader or deal you are unsure of, always read the small print and never give out your personal details to someone you don’t know.
“This week we want to focus these messages particularly towards younger people.
“The evidence suggests that incidents of fraud are increasing among young people, and yet younger people are more confident than most groups that they can avoid scams.
“We would hate to think that younger people in Angus are lowering their guard and making themselves vulnerable to fraud.
“So we want to stress to young people locally that they are all potential scam victims, and that they need to protect themselves against those who would steal their money.
“Our website has all the information you need to become more savvy and beat the scammers, and you can follow our social media feed for more details.”
CAB tips for young people include:
Make sure your computer has a firewall and reputable anti-virus software.
Don’t throw out anything with your name, address or financial details without shredding it first.
Check your statements carefully and report anything suspicious to the bank or financial service provider concerned.
Trading Standards Officers have warned that there is a “scam for everyone” and want to warn local people about scams aimed at particular groups in society.
