Are you among the 21 million people in the UK that has been hit by phone scams? A new report from YouGov and Equifax has revealed a third of the population has experienced fraud or a scam after answering an unsolicited phone call.<\/p>\n
And findings from Citizens Advice, those aged between 40 and 60 years old are the most affected by scams, with 34% claiming to have been victims of fraud.<\/p>\n
The online YouGov research commissioned by Equifax reveals that a third of the UK population has experienced fraud or a scam after answering a phone call from a company or someone they didn\u2019t know. A further 14% clicked on a link within an email from a company or person they didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
Those aged 55+ are most likely to have experienced a telephone scam, with 37% being victims of this type of fraud. And over 1 in 10 (11%) across all age groups who have experienced a scam lost money as a result of a scam, with 45 to 54 year olds most likely to lose out financially (13%).<\/p>\n
In addition, 1 in 5 (21%) said they had experienced a virus on their computer or device, with 45 to 54 year olds being most vulnerable (29%).<\/p>\n
Lisa Hardstaff, identity fraud expert at Equifax, says, \u201cOur research shows that \u2018life established\u2019 individuals \u2013 those who are settled with several financial assets \u2013 are the most affected by unsolicited phone calls and emails which result in fraud.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis could be because they have the most assets to lose and are therefore an appealing target. Or the fact that they are most likely to report a fraud or scam, meaning there is more robust industry data on this age group.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut whatever the case, we think Scam Awareness Month provides an ideal opportunity to highlight the risks posed by scammers who use sophisticated methods to trick consumers out of their savings and personal data.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe urge people not to give away any personal information over the phone or by email.\u00a0 A legitimate company will never ask for bank details or passwords. By taking simple precautions consumers can stay safe and keep the scammers at bay.\u201d<\/p>\n
One way to help stop phone scams is to stop your number being available for cold calls, here’s how…<\/p>\n