Scams such as the current council tax ones are all too common, and we must ensure that we are educated about them so as not to fall victim to them. It seems there are many people out there who are after our money, but there are a lot of things people can do to make sure they don’t get their hands on it.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, as there are plenty of tips out there to help you along the way.

If you receive a phone call, email or letter from somebody claiming to be from a company, always contact them directly to double check their identity.

Never give your personal or banking details to somebody over the phone or without verifying they are legitimate. If somebody is genuinely from one of these companies, they will understand your scepticism, especially with so many cons about.

If you have someone offering you an amazing deal, either on a new appliance or an opportunity to make money for nothing, always be wary. It’s likely that a scammer will try to force you to make a decision very quickly, giving you little or no time to think it through.

If you’re being pressured into something, don’t fall victim to the trap. Give yourself time to think, and if the offer is real, it will still be there after you have thought about it for some time.

Best advice to ensure you don’t fall victim to a scam is: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.