Wiltshire has been the fifth worst hit area for online and auction scams in the UK, new figures show.

Figures between June 2021 and July 2022 were put under the microscope, and e-commerce sales amounted to $4.9trillion worldwide last year, and are now expected to rise to $7.4 trillion by 2025.  

Altogether, there were 124 reports to Wiltshire Police force of online and auction scams per 100,000 people, and an average loss of £639 per case.

Bedfordshire was the worst, with Dyfed-Powys second, Cambridgeshire third, Thames Valley third and Metropolitan fourth.

To discover which areas of the UK were worst affected by online shopping and auction scams, researchers at Wholesale Clearance UK contacted all 48 police forces – who reported a combined loss of £53,769,900 million overall.

Karl Baxter, CEO of the company said there are lots of ways people can stay safe when buying things online.

She said this includes things like requests for bank transfers.

She stated: “If you’re purchasing something online, a reputable business will never ask for a bank transfer to a private account.   

“Look for safer methods, such as credit card or payment services like PayPal, and if you think you’ve been scammed, contact your bank or credit card provider immediately."