One in four scam victims are aged 21 to 30

Data from Barclays show young adults are the most likely age group to have been scammed in recent months, with one in four victims aged between 21 and 30. This is despite 76% of this age group saying they are confident they will not get duped. Barclays said scams often take place on tech platforms such as social media, purchase/auction websites, or dating apps, making younger people particularly susceptible.

The majority of scams (77 per cent) take place on tech platforms such as social media, purchase/auction sites or dating apps1, making younger people more susceptible to being a victim.

Purchase scams, where people buy goods which never arrive or aren’t as advertised, are by far the most common type of scam – accounting for more than half (60 per cent) of all scams in the last three months, according to Barclays’ data1. The likelihood of falling for this type of scam decreases significantly with age, with 21-30-year-olds being fifteen times more likely to be a victim compared with those aged over 701.

With smartphones amongst the most common type of item fraudsters advertise, and over half (55 per cent) of 21-30-year-olds planning on purchasing a new one this summer2, Barclays is warning people to be wary of ‘too good to be true offers’.

To help raise awareness about how easy it is to be duped on social media, Barclays has partnered with Perri Kiely, TV and radio presenter and member of the dance troupe Diversity. According to a poll posted by Perri on social media over the weekend, 64 per cent of his 722K followers said they thought he should go for a phone that was being sold for half its market price.

A recent study by Barclays shows some of the reasons that make young people susceptible to scams. A quarter (25 per cent) said they could only go one day without replacing their smartphone if they lost it. Two in five (39 per cent) say they rarely read the T&Cs, and a third (31 per cent) admit to being willing to shop with a brand they haven’t heard of if they are offering a good deal.

Ross Martin, Head of Digital Safety at Barclays, said “Many people picture an elderly person when they think of a scam victim, and whilst it’s true that older people are more likely to fall for higher value scams, the most common type of scams are where people are tricked into buying something they never receive.”

“The best advice is if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers usually offer items for significantly lower than its value to lure you in – stop and question why any legitimate seller would do this. Check the seller’s website and be wary of anyone asking for a bank transfer rather than a debit or credit card transaction, as legitimate sellers don’t usually do this.”