Households in Cambridgeshire are urged to be vigilant against cold callers, suspicious messages and rogue traders after a growing number of new scams have emerged during lockdown.

The warning comes after it was revealed more than £4.6million was lost to scams during the first lockdown - with reports of fraudulent cold calls increasing by nearly 50 per cent compared to the previous year.

There are also concerns that households struggling financially during the pandemic may be lured in by promises of cheaper prices from scammers and unqualified tradespeople.

Text, telephone, email and social media scams are some of the main Covid financial alerts that have been detected.

Malcolm Farrow from OFTEC, a registration body for off-gas grid heating, said: “It’s an incredibly difficult time for everyone with vulnerable individuals spending more time at home on their own and many households struggling financially.

“Fraudsters often try to pressure you into making a quick decision, so don’t hesitate to take a step back and consider whether an offer is genuine.”