Nine in 10 people have encountered online scams: how to protect yourself against fraudsters

Nine in ten people have encountered scams or fraud online and nearly half have been drawn into engaging with scams, according to Ofcom.

The regulator's new report looked at internet users’ attitudes and perceptions towards online fraud and scams.

Read on to learn about the key findings and for advice on how to protect yourself against scammers. 

Outsmart the scammers

Key findings from Ofcom's fraud report

Ofcom conducted an online survey of 2,097 UK residents in May 2022 and interviewed 32 victims of online scams or fraud between October and November 2022. 

It found that:

Nearly nine in ten adult internet users (87%) have encountered content online which they believed to be a scam or fraud.

Nearly half (46%) of adult internet users have personally been drawn into engaging in an online scam or fraud, while four in ten (39%) knew someone who had fallen victim.

A quarter (25%) of those who said they’d encountered online scams lost money as a result, with a fifth (21%) being scammed out of £1,000 or more.

Three in ten (30%) experienced a potential scam or fraud via email, just under a quarter (23%) via social media, and just under a fifth (18%) through websites and apps.

Ofcom's interviews identified four stages of a typical scam.

Engagement phase:The hook: Engagement techniques: Financial transaction:

Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, says: 'This research exposes the frightening scale of online fraud and backs up recent Which? research that found a slew of misleading and potentially fraudulent investment adverts are still targeting Facebook and Instagram users.

Scammers take advantage of vulnerability

Ofcom's findings mirror a report Which? published earlier this year, which highlighted how scammers often have greater success if the victim is going through a vulnerable period in their life, for example suffering from acute stress or serious emotional strain.

Too often, banks and the police don’t deal with the situation well, leaving the victim in a further state of stress. On many occasions, the victim isn't reimbursed for their losses.

Find out more: 

Under-reporting of scams and fraud

Victims are urged to report scams and fraud to their banks (if they've lost money) and either Action Fraud (the fraud and cybercrime reporting centre) or Police Scotland. 

These reports allow the police to build a clearer picture of how victims are being targeted, but too few victims are submitting them.

Ofcom found that just under two in ten (17%) survey respondents who encountered a potential scam or fraud online did not take any action at all – due to uncertainty around the outcome, not knowing who to tell, or not being directly impacted.

Find out more: 

Protect yourself against online scams

Ofcom provides the following tips to stay safe when you're browsing the internet:

Wait - is it too good to be true? Double-check their identity Don’t give out personal informationDon’t trust unknown attachments or links Use a protected payment methodReport it immediately Find out more:undefined

source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/nine-in-10-people-have-encountered-online-scams-how-to-protect-yourself-against-fraudsters-acbmM3X8uByo