According to the report by first direct, 55% of those who said they’d experienced a fraud attempt said it was carried out online.

Nearly a third said they were aware of more than five fraud attempts, with over half saying they’d received an email from an apparent ‘bank‘ requesting some of their secure personal information.

Advance fee frauds, where people are asked for a sum of money to help secure a much larger sum – for example, the Nigerian 419 scam – were also seen frequently with one in three saying they’d been targeted for this type of fraud.

Those over the age of 55 are more likely to be preyed upon according to the report, with three quarters having been contacted in some way by a fraudster.

The youngest age group of 16 to 24 year olds were the least likely to experience a fraud attempt, with four in ten saying they’d never experienced one.

The report also found that the number of fraud attempts had not dented the public’s confidence in using their computer to make transactions. 81% said they’d make a purchase online, while 70% said they’d bank online.