Fraudsters are now stealing an average £3,500 with impersonation scams

Victims of impersonation scams lost £3,516 on average in the past year - a 10 per cent increase on a year earlier, according to the latest data.

The bank said reports of some types of impersonation scam have increased.

Millions of Brits are being warned to watch out for impersonation scams as the average amount victims lose is up 10% year-on-year, to £3,516. Impersonation scams are when criminals pretend to be a trusted person or organisation, such as a bank or the police, to trick you into sending them money or sharing private infor