Experiences of fraud online and through calls and texts

Ofcom commissioned this research to better understand people's experiences of the fraud and scams they face online and through phone calls and texts.

Scammers use multiple means of trying to access potential victims, including social media, online search results, calls and texts.

As the regulator for both telecoms and online services, it's important for Ofcom to consider the many and varied ways that people can be exposed to scams. So, we carried out this research to:

• understand the prevalence of suspicious content on different channels; and
• explore how individuals recognise and react to suspicious content (including why they might or might not report it).

The research is based on survey data that YouGov collected from 8 to 11 January 2024, using a sample of 2096 adults in the UK.