KINGLASSIE MSP Jenny Gilruth is urging people how to avoid scams by following advice from Scotland’s new consumer advice service.

Ms Gilruth met with Advice Direct Scotland, which runs the consumeradvice.scot service, in the Scottish Parliament to discuss how to protect residents in her constituency.

Common scams include bogus callers who are offering services such as landscape gardening or maintenance work in a bid to gain access to properties; online marketplace traders selling fake goods; and fake emails claiming to be from companies including Amazon, banks, or government departments.

Scams cost the UK economy up to £10billion a year, and 53 per cent of people over 65 have been targeted by scams. However, only 5 per cent of scams are reported.

Commenting, Jenny Gilruth MSP said: “Hundreds of people in Fife fall victims to scams every year.

“By following advice from Scotland’s new consumer advice service, people can spot the tell-tale signs and avoid being left out of pocket. But there is no shame in being conned as scammers use sophisticated techniques to trick people, so it’s important to report any suspicions to consumeradvice.scot so that action can be taken.”

Andrew Bartlett, chief executive of consumeradvice.scot, said: “Realising that you may have been the victim of a scam can be extremely upsetting and worrying.

“It’s very important that any potential scams are reported to us as soon as possible so that we can raise awareness with Trading Standards and the police.”