Impersonation scams are on the rise in the UK, and young adults — aged 18 to 34 — appear to be the main targets.
In a blog post published on Thursday, cybersecurity company Bitdefender cited data from an April 2022 survey by UK Finance showing that an overwhelming majority (71%) of young adults were targeted in impersonation scams. Disturbingly, 73% of the people surveyed said scammers persuaded them to divulge sensitive information or transfer money.
45,000 Impersonation Scams Reported in 2022
Impersonation scams usually involve social engineering tactics. Threat actors impersonate a trusted person or organization to pry away private data or funds from unwitting targets. They may claim to be from the victim’s bank or a member of their IT department. Attackers can contact victims via email, text messages, WhatsApp, or phone.
According to Bitdefender, there were 45,000 reported cases of impersonation scams last year.
“Exploiting significant financial events or deadlines (such as the end of the tax year or deadlines for cost-of-living support payments), they lured victims into sharing financial details by urging them to modify their bank details, claim a refund, or make a payment,” the blog post reads.
Bitdefender regularly publishes informative guides about online safety. The company recently assisted a European police operation to take down a major drug trafficking marketplace on the dark web.
If you’re worried about scams, Bitdefender has some great tools to help you out. Its range of cybersecurity products like Bitdefender antivirus can spot dangerous websites and phishing scams. That’s why getting Bitdefender Antivirus is a great first step in protecting your online life.
Young Adults Exercise Less Caution Than People Over 55 Years
While 90% of the 18-24-year-olds surveyed insist they can easily identify online scams, only 27% of them say they always try to verify whether an unknown caller or contact is legitimate. On the flip side, 60% of the people aged over 55 said they would try to do so.
Scammers usually create a sense of urgency to urge victims to act quickly and not analyze their demands. For example, they may claim the victim will incur a charge unless they disclose sensitive information, such as previous transactions, or visit a legitimate-looking website and enter their login credentials.
As such scams continue to increase, it is crucial to stay calm and try to verify the authenticity of messages and calls you receive. It is a good practice to treat every unexpected communication with suspicion.
Staying Safe From Online Scams
Apart from exercising caution, we recommend using a solid antivirus like Bitdefender antivirus to detect and block phishing messages and malicious links. Looking for a different tool? We’ve conducted tests on dozens of antivirus solutions and ranked them. Check out our list of the best antivirus software for our top picks.
