FRAUD victims are being urged to come forward after statistics revealed two scams are reported to councils across the country every single day.

New figures from Trading Standards show 3.6 million cases of fraud were reported in England and Wales last year, costing the tax payer £9.7 billion.

But the data also shows reported crimes only account for five per cent of the total number of shams actually going on, with many too embarrassed or unaware that they have been conned.

With total figures amounting to more than two fraudsters being reported to councils a day, the Local Government Association (LGA) is desperate for more victims to come forward.

Chairman of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board Cllr Simon Blackburn said: “Heartless, money-grabbing fraudsters don’t care about the financial and emotional distress their sham schemes cause.

“They just want to exploit people, many of whom are elderly or vulnerable, into parting with their hard-earned money or life savings and vanish without a trace.

“Councils are receiving reports of scams every day from victims whose confidence and trust in people has been shattered, leaving them anxious and scared of being targeted and harassed again.

“It’s important that victims don’t suffer in silence or feel embarrassed. By reporting a scam, people can help someone else avoid being a victim and help councils track down the fraudsters, bring them to justice and recover their money.”

Earlier this year Redbridge Council teamed up with Trading Standards to prosecute two men who were selling fake mortgages in Ilford.

Ali Raza Hussain and Jamshaid Butt ran their fraudulent empire from “The Mortgage Centre” in Cranbrook Road for several years.

But after an investigation, Hussain was jailed for two years and Butt handed a year’s suspended sentence.

In Essex a man was prosecuted for selling fake blue badges to over 100 disabled people using copycat council websites. He had to cough up £15,000 in compensation.

This week (August 7) Action for Fraud is also highlighting the danger of potential fraudsters pretending to offer compensation in wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Anyone concerned about fraud should contact Citizens Advice on 03454 04 05 06 or Action for Fraud on 0300 123 2040.