Police forces across the area have issued warnings about scams and fraud operations to keep an eye out for in 2018.
Staffordshire Police and Derbyshire Police have both offered advice on how people to take simple steps to protect themselves against crooks.
Tips range from how to shop safely, to how to deal with fraudsters posing as fake police officers.
Derbyshire Police highlighted five areas of fraud that may be worth keeping in mind.
Computer Update Fraud
Computer update fraud sees criminals pose as software firm workers and say there is something wrong with the device victims are using.
They will attempt to get their targets' computer passwords, banking passwords and other sensitive data.
A victim could end up locked out of their own device - and any other accounts that share similar passwords are similarly put at risk.
The force has issued the following advice: "Legitimate officials from large companies will never contact you over the phone in this manner.
"Hang up the phone, do not give them any information and report the attempt to Action Fraud."
School Fees
Fraudsters have also begun exploiting the relationship between schools and parents.
They contact parents from the school's own email system or a similar address.
Victims are told that they may receive a discount on their child's school fees if they pay quickly.
Before the fraud has been detected, the money may have already been moved and cleared.
Parents are being advised to always verify email payment changes relating to fees with their children's schools.
They should contact the school by phone on the number they already have, as opposed to any numbers given out by suspected offenders.
They are also recommended to check for inconsistencies in wording or any grammatical errors, like mis-spelt school names or odd-looking email addresses.
Criminals Posing as Police Officers
Criminals posing as police officers have been contacting victims and saying they need help catching bank staff who are acting illegally.
Victims are told to go into their bank and withdraw a large sum of money.
They are then told to return home so a "police courier" can collect the cash.
The scammers claim the money is actually fake notes and will be used as evidence against the bank workers.
A force spokesman said: "Police will never contact you to be part of an operation of this kind.
"If you are contacted by someone purporting to be from the police, either the constabulary that deal with your area or another force, ask for their details then hang up the phone.
"Use a different phone or ensure you hear the dialling tone before calling bank on 101 and ask to speak to the force in question."
Advance Fee Fraud
Advance fee fraud relates to people being asked to put a deposit down to secure an item or services.
This crime is sometimes referred to as a "West African letter", in which offenders claim a payment is needed to release funds for their victim.
In reality, those funds do not exist and the fraudster will sometimes return to the victim asking for even more.
A Derbyshire Police spokesman said: "If you receive a letter or correspondence of this kind, do no reply.
"Do not click on any links in the scam email. Do not supply any information on the website that may open.
"Do not open any attachments that arrive with the email.
"Instead report it to Action Fraud online here"
Online Shopping and Auction Site Payment Fraud
The final scam highlighted is online shopping and auction site payment fraud.
This sees consumers using online shopping sites like eBay or Amazon discouraged from using legitimate payment methods.
They are deflected from secure payment options like Paypal and asked to pay directly into bank accounts instead.
The police spokesman said: "If you are purchasing items online never move away from the legitimate payment methods used by the sites you are using.
"If you feel a deal may be too good, or the price is far lower than the market level, reconsider your purchase.
"Always look at the sellers past history and comments – while this is not fool proof it will give you a good idea about the trust in that seller."
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Debbie King, a detective inspector and head of the economic crime unit at Derbyshire Constabulary said: "In the last quarter of 2017 newly emerging and the most prevailing fraud types in Derbyshire were in line with the national picture.
"Staying one step ahead of the fraudsters is a tough job, but it is possible to do.
"Often, particularly over the phone, they can appear persuasive and authoritative.
"However, never be afraid to question what you are being told, hang-up the phone or walk away from an online deal.
"As in the rest of life, if a deal appears too good to be true then it probably is.
"People should be mindful of their own behaviour but particularly those who may be more vulnerable to this kind of fraud.
"If you are concerned about a parent, friend or colleague do not hesitate to talk to them about their situation and contact your local police force on the non-emergency 101 number or by contacting Action Fraud on 0300 123 20 40."
Staffordshire Police bosses have echoed their Derbyshire counterparts' warning to be on the lookout for online crime.
Newly-appointed digital community support officer PCSO Matthew Hough-Clewes is tasked with warding off the threat of online fraudsters.
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He has offered advice about online scams, including encouraging web surfers to use strong passwords.
He said: "On average a single person has 24 passwords. The advice we give is have a single password for each application to prevent multiple breaches.
"Three random words is the correct password advice, adding special characters and numbers is optional.
"Use a password manager to store passwords to help to remember those passwords.
"We advise using a password manager but it does come with risks as if the password manager is breached then it will leave all of their passwords exposed, it’s about managing the risks for what best suit the user."
