Young Brits Beware: 1 in 4 Scam Victims Are Aged 21-30
Barclays data reveals a shocking truth: young adults are falling prey to scams more than any other age group. Despite this, most 20-somethings still believe they’re untouchable, blissfully unaware of the risks lurking online.
Youngsters Top Scam Targets
Between March and May 2022, one in four scam victims reported to Barclays was aged between 21 and 30. Yet, a separate survey of 2,000 people found a massive 76% of young adults confidently say they won’t be scammed.
Online Shopping Scams are Raking It In
- Purchase scams dominate, making up 60% of all reported frauds.
- These involve goods that never arrive or don’t match the description.
- Among victims of purchase scams, 28% are aged 21-30, while only 4% are 61-70, and just 2% over 70.
- Smartphones, in particular, are hot-ticket bait for fraudsters.
- 55% of 21 to 30-year-olds plan to buy a new smartphone this summer, making them easy marks.
Scammers Lurk on Social Media and Dating Apps
Barclays warns to watch out for scams on tech hotspots like social media, auction sites, and dating apps—places where young people spend hours every day.
Barclays Teams Up with Perri Kiely to Beat Scammers
To raise awareness, Barclays has joined forces with Perri Kiely from Diversity. The TV and radio presenter was stunned by the scale of scams hitting his peers.
“Like most young people, I consider myself tech savvy because I’ve grown up with social media, and I was shocked to learn how many people my age are falling for scams,” he said. “The best advice is that if something appears to be too good to be true, it most likely is.”
Perri added, “Scammers usually offer items for much less than their true value to entice you in – stop and think about why any legitimate seller would do this. Check the seller’s website and be wary if you’re asked for a bank transfer instead of a debit or credit card.”
Stay sharp, spot the signs, and never get caught out by too-good-to-be-true deals online!
