Scamming costs the worldwide economy billions each year.

Worse, it hits ordinary people where it hurts the most: whether the life-savings of the vulnerable elderly taken over the phone, the hard-earned savings of young people whipped away by clicking the wrong online link, or a lump sum from anyone caught momentarily unaware, we are all vulnerable. There is a scam for everyone: if you haven’t been stung yet, it’s only because until now no one has used the right approach.

Nick Stapleton is the presenter on the BBC’s Scam Interceptors, an award-winning TV series which teaches viewers how to beat scammers, and has become a guru in the ways of fraud, theft and con artistry. In this book, the first of its kind, he has put together a fail-safe handbook covering all known scams, including advice on how to protect yourself or vulnerable loved ones, what to do if you think you’ve been scammed and how to go about reclaiming stolen money.