A WORCESTERSHIRE lawyer has warned that elderly people remain highly vulnerable to clever scammers.

Emma Beddows, of Redditch-based Kerwoods, said older people were all too often viewed as easy targets and the problem appeared to be getting worse.

Ms Beddows said two examples she had seen recently had shown "utterly ruthless" scammers cared nothing for the individuals concerned.

“Cold calling is a big worry, particularly for those whose faculties may be deteriorating," she said.

“One client after visiting a bank had a call minutes later asking for a copy of their will from an organisation that wanted to ‘check it’.

"In the second instance a lady was sold ‘an asset trust’ that cost £3,000 to set up by someone who called at her door.

"It is absolutely shocking.”

Ms Beddows pointed out there are many different types of scams - and not just the cold calls and phone scams.

An estimated £1.2 billion annually is lost to investment fraud each year, where criminals send thousands of emails out in the hope people disclose private information, which can then be used to fleece their bank accounts of money.

According to the Consumers’ Association, more than three million people a year in the UK are caught out and, as only five per cent of scams are reported, the actual number could be far higher.

And recent research from the Financial Ombudsman showed that 80 per cent of phone scam victims were over 55.

Ms Beddows added: “If you live alone, are at home during the day, and have savings or valuables, then you are at risk.

“Our senior citizens are sometimes not as sharp as they once were while the lonely are more prone to talk to people on the door or on the phone. Too many fall prey to heartless rogues.

“Some scam victims feel embarrassed or guilty, but they should always report what has happened to them."

To report a scam contact Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040.