People between the ages of 16 and 34 are more susceptible to being scammed and account for more than half of the scams experienced in the UK.
Studies show one in five of those aged 16 to 34 had been scammed in recent years, compared with just 4 per cent of those aged 55 and over.
Common text-based scams include messages claiming you are to be fined for not filling in the 2021 census; you owe money for a parcel from Royal Mail or other delivery firm; or you are due a council tax refund.
Tell-tale signs that something could be a scam include the contact being unexpected; an offer that seems too good to be true; a request to provide personal information; or a demand for payment of any kind.
Cllr Nesil Caliskan, Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: “People tend to assume that most victims of scams are older, and while anyone can be subject to fraudulent activity, what we are seeing is a huge percentage of young people falling for scams.”
If you get sent a message that you believe to be fraudulent, you can report it to your mobile phone provider or by forwarding the message to 7726, a free reporting service provided by phone operators.
Studies show one in five of those aged 16 to 34 had been scammed in recent years, compared with just 4 per cent of those aged 55 and over.
Common text-based scams include messages claiming you are to be fined for not filling in the 2021 census; you owe money for a parcel from Royal Mail or other delivery firm; or you are due a council tax refund.
Tell-tale signs that something could be a scam include the contact being unexpected; an offer that seems too good to be true; a request to provide personal information; or a demand for payment of any kind.
Cllr Nesil Caliskan, Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: “People tend to assume that most victims of scams are older, and while anyone can be subject to fraudulent activity, what we are seeing is a huge percentage of young people falling for scams.”
If you get sent a message that you believe to be fraudulent, you can report it to your mobile phone provider or by forwarding the message to 7726, a free reporting service provided by phone operators.