There have been 52 reports across 2021 so far, according to the Jersey Fraud Prevention Forum.

While the reports are a slight decrease on last year, Chief Inspector Chris Beechey, Forum Chair, noted that 2021 has nonetheless seen “the second biggest monetary loss” in Jersey in the past five years.

He commented: “We want to encourage Islanders to speak out against this crime, and to know the Forum are here to protect, advise and help against these fraudsters.

“These criminals are always adapting the way they target their victims which is why we need to remain vigilant. The Forum has had reports from islanders of hackers trying to gain remote access to their computers as well as reports of postal scam texts and romance fraud via Facebook.”

Chief Inspector Beechey continued: “As we get into the festive spirit, we understand that our guards might be down more than usual, with too good to be true deals landing in our inboxes and on our social media feeds. We encourage islanders to challenge any calls or requests they suspect may not be legitimate and to report them.”

Anyone with suspicions of fraud are being urged to report them to the Forum and Police on 612612.