The scams linked to HMRC, HSBC, Royal Mail, and Tesco you urgently need to be aware of

The coronavirus pandemic has meant it’s been a long, tough year for traders – but for those without scruples, business has been quite good.

Scams have soared over the past year, with online shopping the most common type, according to Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. There has also been an increase in romance scams, after many turned to online dating.

Banking body UK Finance has also sounded the alarm now lockdown restrictions are being eased. Katy Worobec, managing director of economic crime at UK Finance, said: “Criminals have been capitalising on the pandemic to commit fraud, and the easing of lockdown restrictions provides another opportunity for them to target victims”.

Here is a list of some the scams identified in Wales over the past year which can end up duping people into handing over their hard-earned money. Many direct people to genuine-looking websites or provide numbers for people to call. If you…