Islanders have been scammed out of more than £266,000 in the first three months of this year.

That compares to £310,835 lost in the entirety of 2021.

The biggest losses have been in cryptocurrency, investment, and advance-fee scams, with charity scams also on the rise because of the sanctions imposed in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

There have been 19 scams between January and March 2022.

Forum Chairman, Chief Inspector Chris Beechey, has called on islanders to stay alert and continue reporting scams to the police and forum.

"This year we have seen a significant rise in the total amount of monetary loss experienced by local residents due to fraud and scams.

Fraudsters are constantly evolving the way they target victims, which is why we want to encourage Islanders to remain cautious and to seek as much advice and guidance as possible as to how they can protect themselves against scammers.

As the year continues, we hope Islanders will remain alert and think twice when they get a suspicious message, email or phone call. We encourage Islanders to challenge any communications they suspect may not be legitimate and to report them."

Details around the latest fraud and scams targeting people in Jersey will be part of a newsletter being delivered to all homes next week.

Anyone with fraud suspicions can report them to the Forum.

Anyone who has lost money to scammers is being told to contact their banks and the police on 612 612.