People under the age of 35 are more likely than older age groups to have been targeted in an impersonation scam, according to new research by UK Finance.

Findings published by the banking body’s Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign revealed that 71% of 18 to 34-year-olds said they had been contacted by an impersonation scammer, with 73% of those targeted saying they had subsequently been persuaded to either send money or share personal information.

An impersonation scam is where a criminal contacts someone pretending to be a person or organisation they trust, and attempts to get them to disclose personal and financial information.

Under 35s were more likely to be approached in a variety of ways – such as over the phone, email, text and WhatsApp.

“An alarming number of people fall for impersonation scams and whilst our findings show that younger people are the ones who are often targeted, it’s important to remember that anyone can be caught out by these criminals and that you should always stay alert,” commented UK Finance managing director of economic crime, Katy Worobec.

“Given the level of sophistication of some of these scams, we urge the public to be wary of unexpected requests for personal or financial information.

“Often these criminals will take their time to gather as much information about you as possible, so it’s important that people follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign – always be cautious of any messages or calls you receive out of the blue and avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails or text messages.”

UK Finance also highlighted a recent and growing impersonation scam involves fraudsters sending WhatsApp messages that appear to be from a friend or family member with a seemingly genuine request for money, such as being stranded overseas or urgently needing to pay a debt or a bill.

Policy manager at WhatsApp, Kathryn Harnett, added: “WhatsApp protects our users’ personal messages with end-to-end encryption, but we want to remind people of the other ways they can keep their accounts safe and remain vigilant to the threat of scammers.

“We advise all users never to share their six-digit PIN code with others, not even friends or family, and recommend that all users set up two-step verification for added security. And, if you receive a suspicious message – even if you think you know who it’s from – calling or requesting a voice note is the fastest and simplest way to check someone is who they say they are.”

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