Retired people are the least likely to report fraud – despite losing almost £400million to scams last year, figures show.

In a Barclays poll, four in 10 over-65s who had been scammed said they kept it a secret from their family.

Overall, a third of those polled said they'd lost money to a scam – losing an average of £817.

However, 39% said they did not want to "cause a fuss" or worry their loved ones.

Keeping silent however appears to create a vicious cycle with one in four older victims being scammed more than once.

Meanwhile the emotional impact can lead to the victim losing trust, feeling embarrassed and sad or depressed as a result.

One victim, Gill Atkinson, 74, Derbyshire, said: "I didn’t really know who to turn to after I was scammed. I felt anxious about falling for such a silly trick and felt too embarrassed to tell my family or friends.

"But I’m glad I opened up and spoke about my experience in the end. Talking really helps, and I hope this campaign will encourage more people to talk openly about scams."

Ross Martin, head of digital safety at Barclays, said: “Scammers are trying to take advantage of older people’s reluctance to open up about these incidents, which can cause huge emotional and financial turmoil. But together we can put an end to that.

“That’s why we’re teaming up with Pete & Bas to reach out to audiences both young and old to encourage the nation to pick up the phone to older family members to encourage more conversations about scams, so we can help break this cycle.”

Barclays' tips to fight back against scammers

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