ALMOST two-thirds of British adults have been targeted by online fraud, according to a chilling new study.

       A quarter have been asked for money by someone they met on the web – with a worrying 44 per cent of those even coughing up the cash.

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       Almost two-thirds of British adults have been targeted by online fraud, according to a chilling new study Credit: PA

       While more than 20 per cent of Brits have been asked to transfer funds to con artists they THOUGHT they knew - only later finding out the messages were coming from a fraudster.

       While a worrying fifth of those polled admitted to being specifically targeted by romance fraud creeps.

       The study comes as popular Netflix shows such as The Tinder Swindler have shone a light on how sophisticated scamming has become.

       Scammers most commonly impersonate service providers (42 per cent), friends (40 per cent) or even their significant other (35 per cent).

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       The study found email is the most common way people are being targeted by con artists (62 per cent).

       Text messages (52 per cent) and social media (29 per cent) also ranked highly.

       Scams are now becoming so sophisticated that 72 per cent of Brits admitted they can see how people fall for fraudsters.

       While a further 51 per cent think it’s easier to fall for online scams these days compared to five years’ ago.

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       And as many as half of adults believe oversharing personal information online has enabled scammers to become more sophisticated.

       As a result, 57 per cent are worried about being caught out and scammed online in the future.

       With 91 per cent of those limiting the personal information they share on the internet to minimise the risks of being tricked.

       The study of 2,000 Brits by OnePoll was commissioned by digital security and privacy firm Avast.

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       A spokesman for the company said: “The reality is that online scammers have zero scruples and are always seeking to exploit peoples’ emotions, circumstances or wider events in order to make money.

       "The fraudsters are increasingly getting more sophisticated, so we urge people to think twice before sharing personal information online or clicking on links which could be clever impersonations from fraudsters."

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       A worrying fifth of those polled admitted to being specifically targeted by romance fraud creeps Credit: Getty