Scam techniques and tactics will be taught to members of the public at a public workshop in Cornwall, in an effort to protect people from fraudulent activity.

The event, run by Citizens Advice and Barclays, is open to everyone and aims at combatting the increasing menace of frauds and scams during Nationals Scams Month.

From cold-calling with a fake investment opportunity, to posting online adverts for products which don’t exist, many different techniques will be covered at the two-hour workshop.

Held in Truro on July 19, the event will be free of charge and are ideal for anyone who wants to learn how to spot a scam, what to do to avoid falling prey to scams, and how to report them.

David Morton, of Citizens Advice Cornwall, said: “We are delighted to be working with Barclays on this regional initiative to highlight simple actions you can take to avoid being conned.

“Our advisers across Cornwall are seeing more and more victims of increasingly sophisticated scams.

“These fraudsters often target vulnerable people, including the elderly, who are usually reluctant to seek advice from friends, relatives or the authorities, causing a lot of worry and stress in addition to financial loss.”

A recent survey by Barclays, showed only 17 per cent of people can correctly identify basic digital safety threats such as social media messages intended to trick users into sharing personal details or downloading malware.

David Podd, Plymouth market leader for Barclays, said: “We are working closely with a number of organisations, including Trading Standards and the police, to try to prevent people being caught by rogue traders and fraudsters.

“Colleagues in our branches continue to be vigilant and will often question customers if they feel they could be under duress when asking to withdraw large sums of money, especially the elderly.

“We hope these events will help to raise awareness of the different kinds of fraud and scams in existence and everyone is welcome to come along to find out more.”

The workshop, also backed by Trading Standards, will take place at the Barclays branch in Truro from 10am to midday.