Fighting con artists who target lonely

A survey has shown that being in social isolation ups your odds of being scammed, and the key to beating the con artists is having someone to talk things through with

- Vicky Shaw

MANY people have felt lonely or isolated during the pandemic - and in some cases, it can leave them more at risk of being scammed.

Having a trusted second opinion - whether it's about someone you've met online, or a cold caller claiming to be from your bank - can stop scams in their tracks.

Nationwide Building Society (nationwide.co.uk) recently found a quarter of those who have experienced loneliness or social isolation at least once a week also say they have been scammed.

This is higher than the 21 per cent of people generally who have fallen for a scam.

Humans crave social contact, and this might override your natural instincts. Nationwide found 12 per cent of people would carry on engaging with someone they were chatting to online, even if they suspected their motives.

Ed Fisher, head of fraud policy at Nationwide Building Society, says: "We're all suggestible to a degree.