POLICE are investigating reports of multiple online frauds in Largs during the past month.

The first incident happened in Nelson Street where a household fell victim to a fraud on Facebook Marketplace on August 21. The next incident happened in Glen Avenue involving Bitcoin.

And a third incident happened at St Colm's Gardens in Largs on September 12.

The incidents featured in the crime report provided by Police Scotland to the town's community council, and so far, are undetected.

The rise of online fraud has been a growing concern for police forces up and down the country.

In terms of Facebook Marketplace, sellers have lost high value items after being led to believe that payment has been made or is pending and releasing an item to the buyer, sending the item and providing the tracking number before receiving the money.

The buyers in question may show fake bank transfer screenshots or email confirmations as proof of payment.

However, when the seller checks their online accounts, the payment is not there.

Top tips for online buyers and sellers include:

  • Always check your account or third-party payment facility to ensure a payment has been cleared before handing over or posting items.
  • Do not use links or websites supplied by the buyer to check for payment, as these can also be forged and look genuine.
  • Always use reputable payment methods and log in to payment providers directly on your device to verify you have received the payment.
  • If a buyer makes feel uncomfortable, don’t be afraid to block them and report them to Facebook.
  • Check when the Facebook profile was created; if it was created very recently or has very limited information available, approach with caution.
  • Minimise the personal information you share in the advert such as your address, email, or phone number.

For more advice, go to actionfraud.police.uk/.