Some 89 per cent of over-65s say they are confident in taking suspicious calls
The average Briton has received more than 180 suspicious calls since March last year, new research reveals.
Analysis by Santander found there has been a 189 per cent increase in scam calls during the pandemic. And 47 per cent of Britons are failing to hang up straight away, with one in five saying it would be impolite.
Criminals have taken advantage of the uncertainty of the pandemic. Only 38 per cent of 18-24 year olds surveyed by Santander feel able to deal with a cold-caller.
In contrast, 89 per cent of over-65s say they are confident in taking suspicious calls, with only 7 per centreporting that they have been scammed over the phone.
Dave Lowe, head of fraud at Santander, says: ‘Our research shows just how persuasive scammers can be — nearly half of the people who have fallen victim to a cold-calling scam said they were tricked by someone who was friendly and polite.’
The bank is partnering with the Chelsea Pensioners to launch a scam awareness campaign, encouraging would-be victims to tell fraudsters to ‘push off, politely’ and not to be worried about appearing rude.
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