People aged 18-25 are the most likely to be a victim to car scams on Facebook with 20% of all cases from this age group. The over-60s account for 14% of scam victims, while 41–45-year-olds make up 12.5% of all cases.

The over-60s lost the largest sums to scammers, with an average claim made for £1,564 so far this year. This an annual increase from £748.06 reported in 2022. People aged 56-60 reported the second largest losses with an average claim for £1,528, followed by 26–30-year-olds who were third with an average claim of £1,263.

Chris Ainsley, Head of Fraud Risk Management at Santander said: “Scammers are stealing hundreds of thousands of pounds from people falling foul of car scams on online marketplaces.

“But people can help put the brakes on these scams by learning the telltale signs of fake listings and doing due diligence before transferring any funds.

“For this particular type of scam, the single best thing anybody can do to protect their money is to not transfer any funds until the vehicle is in their possession, and they have seen it in person.”