The Banking Ombudsman Scheme says elderly people are often at greater risk of financial abuse and it has a guide on Financial Abuse of the Elderly which covers things people can do to protect themselves.

The Scheme says for the first time last year it collected comprehensive demographic data on complaints, which allows it to proactively identify any trends or issues impacting on particular groups such as older people.

It says at least 15% of complaints last year came from people over the age of 65. This is consistent with the proportion of people aged 65 and over in the population, which was 14.4% at the 2013 census.