Since the start of the year, 5,600 reports of attempted scams and scams were made to the PSNI, it has been confirmed.
The estimated total lost to scams each year in Northern Ireland is around £19 million, according to Chair of ScamwiseNI Partnership, Chief Superintendent Gerard Pollock. He said the staggering statistics show just how ruthless scammers are.
Chief Superintendent Pollock said: "We should never lose sight of the fact that behind every loss, no matter what it has been, is a person or a business owner who has been taken advantage of in the most despicable and callous way. In some cases, the impact of the scam has life-long consequences.
