Scottish politicians have received training to help them protect their constituents from scams.
The event at the Scottish Parliament was sponsored by Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan.
Mr Allan hosted the reception on behalf of Advice Direct Scotland, which runs the consumeradvice.scot service.
MSPs joined trading standards experts and Advice Direct Scotland staff – including Sean Harrison, who is manager at the Advice Direct Scotland contact centre in Stornoway.
Common scams include bogus callers who are offering services such as landscape gardening or maintenance work to gain access to properties; online marketplace traders selling fake goods; and fake emails claiming to be from companies including Amazon, banks, or government departments.
The consumeradvice.scot provides free, impartial and practical advice to consumers.
Mr Allan said: “Sadly, I know from my own caseload that a significant number of people in the islands fall victim to scams every year.
“Advice Direct Scotland has a significant presence in Stornoway and I was delighted to be able to sponsor this reception aiming to spread awareness of the problems and offer practical guidance to MSPs.
“By following advice from Scotland’s new consumer advice service, people can spot the tell-tale signs and avoid being left out of pocket.
But there is no shame in being conned as scammers use sophisticated techniques to trick people, so it’s important to report any suspicions so that action can be taken.”
