- One in four over 60s have been targeted by an online scam at least once
- Nine in ten (93%) say they do Christmas shopping online but only 5% say scams are main concern
- TalkTalk is partnering with Gransnet to advise over 60s how to protect themselves this festive season
Wednesday 29th November- With Christmas fast approaching it’s unsurprising that many of us will go online for our Christmas shopping. Over 60s are increasingly shopping online, with recent research by TalkTalk and Gransnet* finding that 93% had done some of their Christmas shopping this way.
Although clearly comfortable online, one in four (23%) over 60s have been targeted by an online scam at least once, with 6% losing money as a result. Of those affected, one in ten said they’d lost over £1,000, whilst the majority (52%) lost up £500 or less.
These findings support recent figures from Action Fraud**, which show just how widespread the problem is, with £16m estimated to have been lost to Christmas shopping fraud in 2016, a 25% increase on the previous year.
Despite over 60s being targeted by scammers, only a small amount of this age group (5%) said that online scams were their main concern. In fact, they were more than five times more likely to be worried that a product wouldn’t match its online description (28%) or that there would be issues with delivery/returns (21%).
To help the over 60s stay safe while shopping online this Christmas, TalkTalk has provided a series of tips. TalkTalk hopes the findings and advice will help people better protect themselves this festive season. Especially given that British seniors have been found to be the most likely to shop online in Europe.***
Donna Moore, Head of Scam Prevention at TalkTalk said: “While we’re pleased to see this age group benefitting from the convenience of online shopping, just like the rest of the population they are vulnerable to the increasingly sophisticated tactics of scammers. That’s why we’ve created some straightforward tips to help people beat the scammers and stay secure online this Christmas.”
Lara Crisp, Editor of Gransnet said: “We know this generation know the internet very well – shopping, keeping in touch with their families and friends, or staying on top of the news. Unfortunately, like everyone, they are prone to being targeted by scammers. It’s not acceptable, all internet users deserve better than this, so with such a busy retail season in full swing, we were pleased to partner with TalkTalk to raise awareness of the problem.”
X, Gransnetter said: “For the past few years, I have enjoyed the convenience of shopping online to get Christmas gifts for my family. It’s an easy way to get the right present, but until last year when I was targeted by an online scam, I hadn’t given really given it much thought.
“Being targeted meant that not only did I lose money, but it affected the while of the festive season for myself and my family as I was unable to get the gifts I wanted to buy.
“While it was not a pleasant experience, I will not be deterred from continuing to shop online, but instead have learned the importance of staying vigilant. You often hear about being careful with cold callers, but it’s important to keep that same attitude when shopping online.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
*Gransnet to confirm how to reference their survey
**Action Fraud figures, November 2017 https://actionfraud.police.uk/christmas
***EMEA Retail Survey 2016
For more information please contact Maxine Sackey on maxine.sackey@talktalkplc.com or 020 3802 9081.