Under 25s TWICE As Likely To Fall Victim To Phishing Scams

New research produced for this year's Get Safe Online Week - which starts today (23rd October) shows that under 25s are now more than twice as likely to be caught out by phishing scams than baby boomers.

• Youngsters under 25 typically lose a huge £613.22 to fraudsters, compared with the older generation’s losses averaging £214.70
• Over 55s are more likely to be targeted by online fraudsters - with almost half suffering cybercrime attempts compared to a third of under 25s
• Over one in 10 18-24 year olds have actually fallen victim to ‘phishing’, compared to just one in 20 55+ year olds
• But the real number maybe far higher, as just 27% of victims report the crime
• Get Safe Online, who ran the survey, recruited and trained unique new ‘Scammer Nana’ squad to demonstrate to youngsters how simple it is to be defrauded - even by someone their grandparents’ age:

Under 25s 'More Trusting Online'
Cyber experts are blaming the rise in teenage and 20-something victims on being more trusting of online communication than older generations. 

Evidence from the report also revealed:

• 40% of under 25s say they ‘carefully read and re-read all emails’, in contrast with two thirds (69%) of 55+ year olds who scrupulously check all online communication.
• Half of under 25s (51%) even admit to regularly ‘replying to or clicking links in unsolicited or spam emails’ – despite it being a common technique used by phishers.
• Older Brits are more cautious, with only a quarter ever replying to or clicking on links in suspect emails.
• Three times as many 18-24 year-olds than over 55s have stopped using social media or emails as a result of phishing.

Impact Of Phishing On Young People

Younger people are more likely to experience longer-term damage from phishing attacks. While only 3% of casualties over 55 reported losing ‘a large amount of money which affected my lifestyle and finances’, a quarter of younger victims’ lifestyle and finances were severely compromised.

Youngsters were ten times more likely to suffer mental health issues after being targeted, with 29% saying the crime attempt impacted them compared to just 3% of over 55s.

In Warwickshire, you can contact Victim Support for support following a cyber crime incident. You can contact them online or by calling 01926 682 693.

Despite the increase in young cyber crime victims, older Brits (47%) are still more likely to be targeted by online criminals compared to their younger counterparts (36%).

Overall, nearly half of fraud reported in the UK is now committed through cybercrime, according to data collected by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB). Half (49%) of all Brits have been targeted, with 8% of the UK population falling victim to the cybercriminals.

The research also looked at the frequency of phishing, revealing that almost two thirds (64%) of people have received a phishingemail within the last year, and one in five (19%) within the last month, as cyber gangs step up activity. Worryingly, one in ten (10%) has been targeted upwards of ten times.

Most Common Con

The report showed the most common phishing con is a fake email claiming to be from a bank or other financial organisation, asking for consumers to change or verify their login details.

Over half (51%) received this type of email, followed by 33% who were sent an email from a company asking them to update logins or provide account details.

Reporting Incidents

Official figures from the NFIB show 152,583 cyber-enabled and cyber-dependent crimes were reported to Action Fraud in the last year. But real numbers maybe far higher, with just 27% of the 1,500 Brits polled for the study reporting their own experiences.

When asked how they dealt with the unwanted emails, over a quarter (27%) reported it to an industry body and the same number to their email provider. However, one in ten (10%) ignored it, one in 16 (6%) panicked and one in 33 (3%) even bought a new laptop in response to being targeted.

If you do fall victim to a phishing scam, you can report the incident to Action Fraud online or via 0300 123 2040.