'Phishing' is when criminals use scam emails, text messages or phone calls to trick their victims. The aim is often to make you visit a website, which may download a virus onto your computer, or steal bank details or other personal information.

It has been reported that there is currently a rise in old school telephone scamming. We have had reports of scammers purporting to be from BT and various Banks. The Nigerian Prince has morphed into a Russian Oligarch who currently cant access his bank accounts and wants to use yours, for a considerable sum of course.

Have scammers run out of ideas in new ways to gain access to our personal details, or have they reverted to what proved very successful for them ten years ago.

Either way please don’t get caught out with this. If you are in any doubt check back to a known and trusted source such as a legitimate website or the telephone number on the back of your card for example. Don’t forget to use a different phone as scammers have been known to keep an open line and pretend to be the organisation you are trying to call.

And finally please report the scam

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is a UK government organisation that has the power to investigate and take down scam email addresses and websites.

Reporting a scam is free and only takes a minute. By reporting phishing attempts, you can:

· reduce the amount of scam communications you receive

· make yourself a harder target for scammers

· protect others from cyber crime online