Which? reports Ofcom findings that nine in 10 people have encountered online scams

Nine in 10 adult internet users have encountered content they believed to be a scam or fraud, and nearly half have been drawn into engaging with one, according to an Ofcom report covered by Which? on 16 March 2023¹. Which? used the findings to press for the Online Safety Bill to include stronger protections and to pass without further delay¹.

Ofcom surveyed 2,097 UK residents online in May 2022 and interviewed 32 victims of online scams or fraud between October and November 2022¹. It found that nearly nine in 10 adult internet users had encountered suspected scam content, nearly half had personally been drawn into engaging with a scam or fraud, and four in 10 knew someone who had fallen victim¹. A quarter of those who encountered online scams lost money as a result, with a fifth scammed out of £1,000 or more¹.

Three in 10 experienced a potential scam or fraud via email, just under a quarter via social media, and just under a fifth through websites and apps¹. The victims interviewed most commonly reported impersonation fraud, followed by counterfeit goods scams, investment, pension or "get rich quick" scams, and computer software service fraud, also known as remote access scams, or ransomware scams¹. Ofcom's interviews identified four stages of a typical scam: engagement, the hook, engagement techniques used to impair rational decision-making, and the financial transaction¹.

On reporting, Ofcom found that just under two in 10 survey respondents who encountered a potential scam or fraud online took no action, citing uncertainty around the outcome, not knowing who to tell, or not being directly impacted¹. Which? said that in its own earlier survey only a quarter of people contacted Action Fraud, the fraud and cybercrime reporting centre, with most victims saying they did not know this was an option or did not think Action Fraud would act¹. Many also did not tell their banks, typically because they did not think the bank would act or felt too embarrassed to report it¹.

Why it matters for households

The figures describe how common scam contact has become for UK internet users, and how often it leads to a loss. A quarter of those who encountered a scam lost money, and a fifth of those lost £1,000 or more¹. The most frequently reported routes were email, social media and websites or apps, meaning the contact arrives through services people use daily¹.

The reporting gap matters for what happens after a loss. Which? reports that most victims it surveyed did not contact Action Fraud, and many did not tell their banks¹. Reports to banks and to Action Fraud are what allow police to build a picture of how victims are targeted, according to Which?¹. Ofcom's own finding was that just under two in 10 respondents who met a potential scam took no action at all¹.

For anyone weighing how a loss might be covered, our guides explain credit card and debit card protection against fraud and the difference between FSCS protection and APP reimbursement. Which? also points to its earlier work on the psychology of scams and on fake websites and online shopping.

What happens next

The Online Safety Bill had been going through Parliament for a year at the time of the report, and Which? called for it to include the strongest possible protections for consumers and to be passed into law without further delays¹. No date for passage is given in the report¹.