Press Release

Seven out of ten older people in Britain are targeted by scams each month, survey reveals

15 September 2008

A new survey from Help the Aged and Barclays reveals that seven out of ten older people in Britain - more than 6.6m people – are targeted by scams every month, either by telephone or letter.  

Scams are widely used by fraudsters to con people out of money by pretending to offer them something for free, such as a lottery win or prize draw. Whilst scams are aimed at people across the age groups, older people are more likely to be targeted.

With older people likely to lose nearly twice as much per scam (an average of £1,261 per scam) compared to younger age groups, Help the Aged is concerned about the impact scammers are having on older people.

The survey also reveals that, in Britain, 38 per cent of older people are not confident in their ability to spot a scam, whilst 60 per cent of people aged 65 plus would not report a scam to a family member.

In a move to help to combat this problem, Help the Aged advisers working on the Your Money Matters programme, a free debt and money advice service supported by Barclays, are promoting the Charity’s guide on avoiding scams to older people across Britain.

Rachel Corry, Help the Aged Your Money Matters programme manager, said: “Scammers can have a devastating impact on the lives of their older victims, and we know from our work that older people can feel embarrassed in reporting a scam. Through the Your Money Matters programme, which is supported by Barclays, we are actively highlighting how to recognize a scam to groups of older people across Britain.

“Anyone could potentially fall victim to a scam, and if something sounds too good to be to be true, it probably is. We would advise people to avoid disclosing their personal information, such as bank account or credit card details, unless it is to trusted source.”

Alan Hands, Barclays sponsorship and donation manager, said: "We understand that older scam victims may be facing financial hardship, some of whom have lost thousands of pounds in the worst situations. Your Money Matters advisers are currently organising group sessions to raise awareness of scams, in addition to offering older people tailor-made advice to enable them to regain control of their finances.”

Since the Your Money Matters programme launched in November 2006, it has revealed a snapshot of the financial difficulties encountered by older British people. The 17 Your Money Matters advisers in Great Britain are currently helping older people deal with over £8 million of debt and have helped them to reduce their debt by nearly £2 million to date.

The Avoiding Scams guide, produced by Help the Aged, is available to download from www.helptheaged.org.uk or by phoning 020 7239 1845 to request a copy.

Advice on scams is available from Consumer Direct by phoning 08454 04 05 06 or visiting www.consumerdirect.gov.uk.