More than 70% of Irish adults targeted by scam communications monthly – research
More than three quarters (78%) of Irish adults are being targeted with scam text messages, emails, phone calls or online content at least once a month, according to new research by the Banking & Payments Federation of Ireland’s FraudSmart initiative.
The survey of 1,000 people found mobile phones were the main channel for scam communications, with 58% of those surveyed encountering scam text messages and 52% receiving scam calls.
Nearly half of respondents also said they had been targeted by scam emails.
The survey, conducted in February, found the prevalence of scam communications is rising, with 45% of consumers noting they are being targeted more compared to this time last year.
The research was undertaken as part of an awareness campaign called ‘See the Scam behind the Screen’, which is supported by Google.
It focuses on the dangers of social engineering tactics, where victims are manipulated or groomed into divulging confidential personal and financial information.
In terms of how people are responding to scam attempts, the study says more than half of mobile phone users block suspicious numbers and ignore unsolicited calls or messages – as well as those from unrecognised numbers.
According to the findings, a majority of people are not taking basic security precautions online, with fewer than a third of people checking for secure ‘https’ web addresses.
While the survey suggests that just over a quarter of people visit official websites of a company, as opposed to clicking through to the website via links on social media or pop-up adverts.
BPFI Head of Financial Crime Niamh Davenport said it is evident that “there is still a distance to travel in ensuring we are all fully alert to and taking the key preventative steps necessary in order to protect ourselves from the barrage of scams being continuously levelled at us via text messages, emails and social media”.
Ms Davenport added that the FraudSmart/Google campaign is aimed at “encouraging consumers to pause and question what is really going on behind the screen when you receive a suspicious text or social media message, phone call or email.”
“These types of deception tactics see fraudsters using phishing emails, fake offers or impersonation posing as someone from a genuine organisation such as your bank, utility or delivery company or even a government department,” she said.
“The scams play on human emotions such as trust, fear or sympathy tricking the victim into believing they are communicating with a legitimate source.”
The BPFI also says the rapid growth of generative AI technology has the potential to supercharge financial fraud and social engineering through the creation of different types of convincing content.
