November 2021
Featured in this insight: IT & telecommunications
Approximately 45 million UK adults report receiving a suspicious message to their landline or mobile: A recent survey by Ofcom has revealed that 82% of British adults have received a suspicious message via their mobile phone or landline, equating to approximately 45 million in the UK.
The study polled 2,000 UK adults in September of 2021 and aimed to uncover the experiences of a range of people who have received suspicious messages. The survey found that 2% admitted to following the instructions on a message or call within the last few months, equalling almost one million people in the UK.
The poll also looked into the difference in ages and whether certain age groups receive more suspicious messages or calls. Three in five (61%) people aged 75 and over reported receiving a potential scam call to their landline, with 51% of those stating it happened at least once a week.
In addition, 71% of those surveyed said they’d received a suspicious text, rising to three-quarters (75%) among 16–34 year-olds. Of the 71% who said they’d received a suspicious text
When asked about their familiarity with how to report a suspicious message, 79% of mobile phone users stated they were unaware of the 7726 number used to report such messages. However, 81% agreed that reporting messages is helpful in preventing further scam messages.
Of those who reported receiving a suspicious message to their mobile, 53% stated they had deleted the message, with a further 52% saying they blocked the number after the text. Furthermore, 49% of those who received a suspicious call blocked the number, with 44% of participants who received a suspicious recorded message ended up doing the same thing.
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