In 2022/23 the Financial Ombudsman Service received 21,918 fraud and scam complaints, a rise of almost a fifth compared to the 18,450 reported in 2021/22.

The FOS also saw a higher proportion of complex scam complaints, the majority of which included an element of cryptocurrency.

There were 10,985 authorised push payment scams, a rise of 17% year-on-year.

The uphold rate for all fraud and scams, including APP scams, chip and pin fraud, ID theft and disputed transactions, was 45%. The uphold rate for push payment scams was higher at 54%.

There was an increase in the numbers of complaints which contained the features of more than one scam, for example combining a romance element with a purchase scam. These so-called ‘hybrid’ scams are now common in romance scams, purchase scams, and safe account scams where fraudsters impersonate reputable companies.

Pat Hurley, Ombudsman director at the FOS, said: “Fraud is not just a financial crime – it can have a profound emotional impact too. We continue to receive hundreds of complaints a week from victims of fraud and scams.

“We are beginning to see more hybrid scams compared to a year ago. Fraudsters are always trying to stay ahead of the game by evolving their methods of scamming consumers and people should be extra vigilant.”

Earlier this month the Insolvency Service warned investors about a recent increase in recovery room scams, where crooks prey on investment scam victims. 

They cold call people who have lost money and pretend to offer help to retrieve their cash.

The scam can result in losses that can be greater than the initial investment loss, the Insolvency Service said.