The wide-ranging study showed 56% of adults worried that someone will use their credit or bank details to steal their cash or buy goods, and 51% worried that their identity will be stolen.

Just under one-third of the people surveyed said they are afraid of being mugged or robbed. Even fewer worry that they will be a victim of gang violence.

The Scottish Crime and Justice 2008-09 findings were based on a sample of 16,003 adults who were asked about their experience and opinion of crime in the past year.

What they showed was a marked difference between the fear of crime and the likelihood of becoming a victim.

Fifteen times as many people believed they were likely to be mugged or robbed, compared with the actual number of people official figures suggest may be a victim of such crimes.

And four times as many adults thought they will be a victim of “white collar” crimes, such as card fraud, than will actually experience these crimes.

The National Statistics (NS) publication, released by the Scottish Government, also estimated that one in five Scots was a victim of at least one crime.

About one million crimes were apparently committed across the country but only 38% of these crimes were reported to police, NS claimed.

Compared with a similar study in 2005-06, the figures showed a 0.9% drop in the number of victims of crime against a Government target of a 2% fall by 2011.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: “We are beginning to turn the corner in our battle against crime and antisocial behaviour in Scotland.

“Recorded crime is at its lowest level in nearly 30 years, we have a record number of police officers patrolling our streets, and it is encouraging to see that majority of people in Scotland now feel safer in their communities than in previous years.

“We are working harder than ever before, tackling the booze and blade culture that still blights far too many communities, taking on the dealers who peddle misery and despair on the streets, and bringing down the Mr Bigs who pull the strings of serious and organised crime.”