Younger consumers more likely targets of impersonation scams

The findings, based on a survey from trade association UK Finance’s Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign, also suggests this age group are more likely to be swayed to provide personal or financial information. 

An impersonation scam is where a criminal contacts someone pretending to be a person or organisation they trust, which often starts with attempts to get them to disclose personal and financial information.  

According to the survey, 71% of 18 to 34-year-olds said they had been contacted by an impersonation scammer - with 73% of those targeted subsequently being persuaded to either send money or share personal information. 

This age group is approached in a variety of ways, including over the phone, as well as through email, text and WhatsApp. A growing number of these scams involve fraudsters sending WhatsApp messages that appear to be from a friend or family member with a seemingly genuine request for money. 

Commenting on the research, UK Finance’s managing director of economic crime Katy Worobec said: “An alarming number of people fall for impersonation scams and whilst our findings show that younger people are the ones who are often targeted, it’s important to remember that anyone can be caught by these criminals and that you should always stay alert. 

“Given the level of sophistication of some of these scams, we urge the public to be wary of unexpected requests for personal or financial information. 

“Often these criminals will take their time to gather as much information about you as possible, so it’s important that people follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign - always be cautious of any messages or calls you receive out of the blue and avoid clicking on links unsolicited emails or text messages.” 

Kathryn Harnett, policy manager at WhatsApp, added: “WhatsApp protects our users’ personal messages with end-to-end encryption, but we want to remind people of the other ways they can keep their accounts safe and remain vigilant to the threat of scammers. 

“We advise all users never to share their six-digit PIN code with others, not even friends or family, and recommend that all users set up two-step verification for added security. And, if you receive a suspicious message (even if you think you know who it’s from), calling or requesting a voice note is the fastest and simplest way to check someone is who they say they are. A friend in need is a friend worth calling.”