According to the high street bank, young adults are the most likely age group to have been scammed in recent months, despite many 20-somethings believing it will never happen to them.

Data from Barclays covering scams reported to it by customers between March and May 2022, one in every four (25%) scam victims is between the ages of 21 and 30.

However, a separate survey of 2,000 people conducted for the bank found that just over three-quarters (76 percent) of 21 to 30-year-olds are confident they will not be scammed.

Scams to watch out for, according to Barclays. Scams frequently occur on tech platforms such as social media, purchase/auction websites, or dating apps, making younger people especially vulnerable.

According to Barclays data, purchase scams, in which people buy goods that never arrive or are not as advertised, are by far the most common type of scam, accounting for more than half (60 percent) of all scams in the last three months.

According to the statistics, people aged 21 to 30 made up 28 percent of purchase scam victims, compared to 4 percent of those aged 61 to 70 and just 2 percent of those over 70.

According to Barclays, smartphones are among the most common types of items advertised by fraudsters.

It discovered that more than half (55%) of 21 to 30-year-olds intend to buy a new smartphone this summer.

The bank warns customers to be wary of offers that appear to be too good to be true.

To raise awareness of scams, Barclays has partnered with TV and radio presenter Perri Kiely, a member of the dance troupe Diversity.

“Like most young people, I consider myself tech savvy because I’ve grown up with social media, and I was shocked to learn how many people my age are falling for scams,” Kiely said.
“The best advice is that if something appears to be too good to be true, it most likely is.”

“Scammers usually offer items for much less than their true value to entice you in – stop and think about why any legitimate seller would do this.”

“Check the seller’s website and be wary of anyone requesting a bank transfer instead of a debit or credit card transaction.”