Nearly two-thirds of adults have been targeted by online fraud

Scammers most commonly impersonate service providers

A fifth have been targeted by romance fraud specifically (PA Archive)

Nearly two-thirds of adults have been targeted by online fraud, news figures show.

A fifth (20 per cent) have been targeted by romance fraud specifically, while a quarter have been asked for money by someone they met on the web - with 44 per cent of those coughing up the cash.

Researchers polled 2,000 Brits and found 72 per cent can see how people fall for fraudsters.

More than one in five (22 per cent) have been asked to transfer funds to someone they thought they knew, only to later find out the messages were coming from a fraudster.

Scammers most commonly impersonate service providers (42 per cent), friends (40 per cent) or even their significant other (35 per cent).

The study, commissioned by digital security and privacy firm Avast, also found email is the most common way people are being targeted by con artists (62 per cent), with text messages (52 per cent) and social media (29 per cent) also ranking highly.

These deceits have resulted in 41 per cent of those targeted by fraudsters sharing their bank details at one time or another.

It also emerged 76 per cent think online scams are becoming much more sophisticated - and 60 per cent believe it’s because better technology is readily available.

While 58 per cent think it’s easier for scammers to hide their identity on the web.

And as many as half of adults (50 per cent) believe oversharing personal information online has enabled scammers to become more sophisticated.

The research, conducted via OnePoll, also found 51 per cent think it’s easier to fall for online scams these days compared to five years ago.

As a result, 57 per cent are worried about being caught out and scammed online in the future, with 91 per cent of those limiting the personal information they share on the internet to minimise the risks of being tricked.

More than eight in 10 (83 per cent) believe it is important people are well educated on how to spot potential fraud.

A spokesman for Avast said: “Sadly, we were less than surprised to see that over half of Brits are worried about being scammed online.

“The reality is that online scammers have zero scruples and are always seeking to exploit peoples’ emotions, circumstances or wider events in order to make money.

“The fraudsters are increasingly getting more sophisticated, so we urge people to think twice before sharing personal information online or clicking on links which could be clever impersonations from fraudsters.

“We want to give people the tools and knowledge they need to stay safe so that they can enjoy their digital freedom online.”

Nearly two-thirds of adults have been targeted by online fraud, as popular Netflix shows such as ‘The Tinder Swindler’ and ‘Inventing Anna’ shine a light on how sophisticated scamming is becoming.