Over 60s are the most likely to fall victim to a scam, losing £2,697 on average. Age UK has spoken exclusively with Express.co.uk on how people can avoid common pitfalls which see them lose thousands.
New research shows the web is increasingly becoming a lifeline for over 60s, as important services such as banking and booking medical appointments move online.
Unfortunately, fraudsters are taking advantage of the increasing numbers of ‘silver surfers’ as new insights from Community Fibre and Age UK London reveal one in five over 60s are scammed at least once in their lifetime, with some being scammed up to nine time.
Britons over 60 are being bombarded with phishing scams twice a week with 15 percent being contacted at least once a day.
On average, those who have been conned have fallen victim to fraud twice – whilst for some, it is as many as nine times in their lives – leading to understandable feelings of anger, anxiety and embarrassment.
READ MORE: NatWest issues urgent warning as new email scam could drain customer savings accounts
Abigail Wood, CEO of Age UK London said: “It’s encouraging to see people over 60 are becoming increasingly confident in surfing the web, as many important amenities such as banking, booking hospital appointments and shopping move online.
“However, as fraudsters become increasingly sophisticated in taking advantage of the digitisation of key services, we must help do all we can to empower this age group to use the internet safely and avoid common pitfalls.
“At the same time, we will continue to press for public services to keep an offline option for those who cannot or choose not to use the internet.”
How to spot an online scam
With one in five over 60s not feeling confident spotting a scam, Community Fibre and Age UK London have a range of online resources that provide assistance, including guidance on making the most of the internet, how to stay safe online and common scams to be aware of at the moment.
What to do
Strong password: People should try and create a strong password for any online accounts, as this will help prevent their accounts from being hacked.
Their email account is a gateway to lots of other accounts, so they should always use a password they don’t use for anything else
Ignore attachments: Britons shouldn’t open any attachments to an email unless someone knows they’re safe.
Leave the links: Individuals shouldn’t click on any links within emails that claim to direct them to their bank, utility company or HMRC.
It’s important people always search for the website themselves instead.
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