Trading Standards officers are urging Vale residents to be extra vigilant for scams in the run-up to Christmas.
According to research from Natwest, 41% of adults in the UK receive move scam approaches during November and December, while purchase scam losses are now at their highest level since data collection began in 2020.
Vale Council says it's important to be cautious in general when buying items, while are there some specific examples of fraud to watch out for.
Shared Regulatory Services, which oversees trading standards across Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend, is actively involved in identifying and prosecuting rogue traders in order to keep consumers safe.
Cllr Ruba Sivagnanam, cabinet member for regulatory services, said: "Unfortunately, scams targeting the public are common and have become more sophisticated in recent years."
"They often make use of the latest technology and can be very convincing with fraudsters' methods and techniques developing at pace."
"SRS is actively involved in raising awareness of fraud to prevent harm to consumers, with the number of scams particularly high at Christmas as shopping levels increase."
"It is important for residents to be more vigilant and questioning than ever before given the type of complex deceptions we are now seeing."
"Always ask yourself whether a communication is genuine and if you have any doubt, contact the organisation or person yourself to check."
"It is useful to Stop, Think and Check, before you respond or provide any personal or sensitive details."
To raise awareness, Natwest has also produced a 'scamvent calendar', with the doors representing the most common purchase scams facing the public - including those involving online vouchers and gift cards, tickets, laptops and tablets, jewellery, luxury handbags and watches.
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