A Kent town is one of the most worried in the country about being ripped off by email scammers, a new survey has revealed.

Maidstone residents rank joint seventh with Gloucester over fears they are being targeted by fraudsters online.

Research by National Trading Standards (NTS) has shown victims of such crimes are made to feel embarrassed and angry at themselves at being duped as well as suffering financial losses.

According to numbers crunched by QR Code Generator Maidstone residents average 61 Google searches per 100,000 people.

The most popular scam-related phrase residents use is “reporting a scam email”.

Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator, said: "With 73% of UK adults being targeted by scams last year, which is equivalent to 40 million people, it is unsurprising so many of us are worried about becoming a scam victim.

"The most searched-for keywords are 'reporting a scam email' and 'how to report a scam email’, suggesting the majority of people are able to identify a scam and report it so the authorities can do something about it.”

QR Code Generator used information gleaned from the NTS to compile its list which has Hove in Sussex at the top for most concerned.

Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott said: “Scammers commit heinous crimes against their victims and cause millions of pounds worth of losses to them every single year.

“I would encourage anyone who is a victim of a scam or suspect they might be a victim of a scam to report it to report@phishing.gov.uk or sign up to MyCommunityVoice which can alert people to this type of crime and the trends surrounding it.”

Kent County Council (KCC) offers assistance about email scams and host of other crimes including postal and doorstep frauds, many aimed at elderly people.

KCC says if anyone is suspicious of an email, they are advised not to click on any links, reply to it or contact the senders, supply information to external links or open attachments.

Lord Michael Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards, said: “Scams and fraud blight every part of society and it is time for society to fight back.

“If we can strip away the shame associated with becoming a victim of fraud or scams, by bringing the issue out into the open and discussing our experiences as families and communities, we can reduce the power of the criminals to do harm.

“Education is key to prevention. Alongside this, I am asking the government to step up and provide better care for victims, helping us break the cycle of shame, underreporting and under-resourcing.”