The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has received reports of scams worth £1.2m in the past two months.
The force said March saw losses of close to £612,000 and in April it had risen by almost £80,000.
Chair of ScamwiseNI Partnership, Chief Superintendent Gerard Pollock, said: “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. For some, the impact is devastating.”
The most common scams are “investment opportunities” most of which are get-rich-quick, too good to miss crypto deals. Some of these seem to start well enough but are exposed as cons when the victims ploughs large sums into the transactions.
Chief Supt Pollock added: “Like most scams now, they have been committed at distance, with criminals exploiting communication networks through phones, social media, emails or text messages.
“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.”

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