Western Isles Council has warned residents against telephone scammers following a surge in calls to islanders.
Telephone scams, which the council say, now appear so complex that they come off as genuine are putting residents at risk for falling for them.
Advice issued on the the council’s Facebook page CnES Consumer and Environmental Services warns against entering into an expensive contract while on the phone.
Some key things that should alert you to a scam is the use of generic greetings, use of urgency in their language and asking for personal information.
You should never reveal personal information such as bank details to anyone over the phone. This is not common practice.
Jay Moran from Trading Standards at Western Isles Council, said: “Please share the pages with your friends and local groups on Facebook – to help prevent islanders from becoming the victims of scams.
“We will post information to help warn and protect people from the latest scams and there have been many reports of telephone scams taking place over recent weeks.
“Scams and frauds can end up happening to anyone and at any point in their life, as these criminals may use sophisticated techniques to appear genuine. It is not your fault.
“Take time to think and don’t be afraid to say no thank you and then do your own research on the product or service offered and make an informed decision on whether you actually wanted it in the first place”.
To find out more about how to avoid being scammed visit our handy guide.
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