More than 6 million UK consumers scammed online in past year [Video] #UKFinance

More than 6 million UK consumers have fallen prey to online fraudsters in the past year, with social media platforms and online marketplaces emerging as the most frequent avenues for scams, according to consumer watchdog Which?.

Figures reveal that approximately 6.6 million British shoppers have lost money to scams over the last 12 months, with nearly 5 million of those affected being targeted on popular platforms such as Facebook (META), Instagram, YouTube (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN), and WhatsApp.

These platforms, alongside others like TikTok, Google, and X (formerly Twitter), have been rife with scams that continue to affect millions of users.

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The report comes as the UK government’s voluntary Online Fraud Charter marks its first anniversary. The charter, signed by major tech companies, aimed to combat online fraud by introducing a series of protective measures, including the verification of new advertisers and the swift removal of fraudulent content. However, despite these commitments, the scale of the problem remains substantial, raising questions about the effectiveness of the current response.

According to Which?’s findings, the vast majority (63%) of scams occurred on social media platforms, with 42% of victims reporting fraud via search engines, 39% on online marketplaces, and 23% through messaging services. The most common platforms for scams were Facebook (37%), Google (33%), Instagram (20%), Amazon (18%), and WhatsApp (18%).

Which? surveyed over 2,000 UK adults to determine whether the charter has had an impact on the number of scams consumers encounter on online platforms and whether they feel safer online in the year since the initiative began.

Nearly 73% of UK adults expressed distrust in the ads they encounter on social media and search engines, while a third (34%) reported feeling less confident in using online platforms compared to a year ago. Only 3% said they felt more secure.

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The continuing prevalence of scams has left consumers increasingly anxious, with 22% of respondents encountering suspicious ads or messages every day over the last six months.

Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: “For every week the government fails to take action, we lose millions to fraudsters and organised crime groups – taking money from productive firms, reducing overall levels of investment in the UK economy and damaging consumer confidence. The government and regulators need to act urgently to tackle the fraud epidemic or risk millions more falling victim to scammers.”

The Online Safety Act, which is set to hold online platforms accountable for fraudulent advertising, will not be fully enforced until 2027. Concha argued that this timeline is far too slow, urging regulator Ofcom to implement regulations sooner and for a more coordinated approach across the tech, banking and telecom sectors to address the rising tide of scams.

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