More than half a million Scots have fallen victim to cyber criminals in the past year, The Mail on Sunday can disclose.

Many have been conned out of significant sums – in excess of £5,000.

Experts say that cyber-fraud, carried out through computers or emails, tablets or smart-phones, is one of the fastest-growing areas of criminal activity, with fraudsters constantly evolving new ways of exploiting everyday technology.

Unsuspecting Scots are being targeted by a bewildering array of scams involving false identities, hacked bank details, fake tickets and bogus investments.

And, in recent weeks, there has been a spike in cases of people being hit by a sophisticated con featuring the UK’s most famous consumer adviser.

Deepfake technology is being used to impersonate Martin Lewis, with AI-generated videos appearing to show the founder of the Money Saving Expert website and host of ITV’s Money Show.

One lifelike video sees an AI version of Mr Lewis telling people to invest immediately in a scheme he is supposedly backing – or risk losing out.

Jude McCorry, chief executive of Scotland’s Cyber & Fraud Centre said: ‘Online scams, especially ones using AI, voice cloning and deepfake video, can be extremely sophisticated and convincing.

‘In recent weeks, we’ve seen a huge surge in cases where people have been tricked into handing over money through online adverts that falsely show Martin Lewis.

‘People sign up and send money, often thinking they’re doing a really good thing for their family’s finances or inheritance.’

The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey for 2024/25 shows a record 11.5 per cent of adults – around 529,000 people – were victims of at least one online fraud during the year. Around 28,000 lost £1,000 or more – including just over 6,000 who each lost more than £5,000.

Ms McCorry added: ‘Some of these scams are so sophisticated that even though I work in cyber I can’t say that I would never be caught out.’

In the past two years the Cyber & Fraud Centre has received reports of fraud worth £30 million, and has helped return £1.9 million to victims. But Ms McCorry warned that scammers are quick to exploit every opportunity.

She said: ‘When there is a festival or a big concert like Taylor Swift or Oasis we know that scammers will try and cash in by selling bogus tickets.

‘And with the current fuel crisis we know there will be a spike in fake websites trying to get people to hand across their account details supposedly to apply for government support payments.’ 

Mr Lewis himself has said: ‘If it’s an ad with me in, it’s always a scam, as I don’t do adverts.’

Police Scotland said victims should always report cyber-fraud.Detective Superintendent Richy Taylor said: ‘Organised crime groups use technology to target and exploit vulnerable individuals in their own homes. However by working with law enforcement partners across the UK, we aim to disrupt these activities.’

In one of Scotland’s most shocking cases of cyber-fraud, an 86-year-old woman lost more than £2million in a gold bullion scam.

The pensioner from Lanarkshire was contacted through WhatsApp by a man claiming to be carrying out an investigation for the Financial Conduct Authority.

Calling himself Garry Reid he warned that her savings were ‘under threat’. He told her to ‘cash in’ her investments and buy gold bars.

These were delivered to her home before being collected by so-called ‘couriers’ – never to be seen again. Although ‘Garry Reid’ has never been traced, three members of a crime gang were jailed last year for a total of 11-and-a-half years.

Judge Lord Harrower said at the High Court in Glasgow: ‘The loss of such an astonishingly large amount of money will be difficult for anyone, but given the age and vulnerability of the woman, the offence has been devastating.’

The victim was only able to recover a tiny fraction of her lost savings.