Nearly 45 million people in the UK were targeted by scam text messages or phone calls over the summer, according to the telecoms regulator Ofcom. A survey of 2,000 adults conducted in September revealed that almost a million people had been misled by a message or call they received.
About half of those surveyed reported receiving a scam call or text at least once a week. Text scams were most common among 16 to 34-year-olds, with two-thirds receiving one between June and August. Meanwhile, the elderly were more often targeted via landlines, with 61% of those over 75 receiving a scam phone call.
Ofcom urged the public to remain vigilant. Lindsey Fussell, the regulator's networks and communications group director, said: 'Criminals who defraud people using phone and text scams can cause huge distress and financial harm to their victims, and their tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated.' She advised: 'Stay alert to any unsolicited contact. Put the phone down if you have any suspicion that it is a scam call, and don't click on any links in text messages you're unsure about.'
UK residents who believe they have been targeted can report scam texts by forwarding them to 7726 – the numbers on the keypad that spell 'spam'. However, Ofcom found that 79% of mobile phone users were unaware of this service.
