One in seven fall for scams after giving personal details

A recent survey suggests that about one in seven people have provided personal information to individuals who were not genuine. The research, commissioned by Nationwide Building Society, highlights the effectiveness of impersonation tactics used by criminals.

The survey found that 15% of respondents had shared sensitive details before realising the recipient was a fraudster. Furthermore, 19% of people indicated they would be likely to call back an unknown number, potentially exposing themselves to further risk.

Factors influencing trust in unexpected callers

When asked what might make them trust an unsolicited call claiming to be from their bank, 10% of participants cited the caller sounding professional. Another 14% stated they would trust a caller who knew their full name, and 13% would trust one who knew their date of birth. These pieces of information are often obtainable by criminals through other means.

Annya Burskys, head of fraud operations at Nationwide, commented on the sophistication of modern scams. She explained that criminals often disguise calls to appear as if they are from legitimate organisations, use personal details to build trust, or create a sense of urgency. Burskys also noted that information obtained through fraudulent websites or phishing attempts can be used to make subsequent impersonation scams more convincing.

Actress Lisa Riley, who is supporting Nationwide's awareness campaign, shared a personal experience of providing information to a website that appeared legitimate. She stated that the experience taught her how clever and convincing criminals can be. The survey involved Censuswide interviewing 2,000 individuals across the UK in September.