Email this pageSalting the Online Mine: Is the UK a Victim of its Own Compassion?
PC Tools' International study into online scams shows that UK consumers are susceptible to some online scams, but not all…
London, December 19, 2011: PC Tools, in collaboration with the Ponemon Institute, today announced the findings of its online scam susceptibility study of 1,357 UK consumers. The results of the survey show clear differences between internet users in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom based on response rates to six real-world online scenarios. With online scams a fast-growing part of the total £6.6 billion lost through fraud in the UK annually[1], our ambivalent attitude calls for a rethink on education.
Overall, approximately four in ten UK respondents believe they are likely or very likely to provide personal information in each of the test scenarios.
| Test Scenario | Rate % |
|---|---|
| An online prize | 46% |
| Free antivirus software | 44% |
| Get rich quick opportunity | 44% |
| Free movie | 38% |
| Online shopping registration | 37% |
| Online donations | 35% |
Interestingly, the results found that over one-third of UK respondents, more than both the US and Australia, believe they are either likely or very likely to provide their credit card details when asked to make a small online donation. This was the only instance the UK respondents believed they were more likely than the Australian or US respondents to fall for a scam scenario.
Alexis Conran, Star of The Real Hustle commented: "Scams are not a new phenomenon. From 'salting the mine' to 'three card monte', the principle of any type of scam - online or in person - is to exploit human characteristics such as greed, naivety or even compassion".
UK respondents are susceptible to online scams, but not the most
Overall, the survey found that US respondents believe they are most likely to provide their personal information in each of the test scenarios, with the exception of the online donation scenario. On the other end of the spectrum the Aussies are the least susceptible to online scams, whilst Brits were neither the most, nor least, susceptible to online scams.
Our friends are more naive when it comes to online scams
The majority of UK respondents believed they would be unlikely to provide their personal or financial information in each of the test scenarios; however they couldn't say the same about their friends. For example, whilst only 46% of respondents believed they were likely to give their mobile number to claim a prize online, 66% believed their friends would be likely to do the same.
"The fact that people think their friends are more likely to provide personal or financial information online represents a general assumption that people believe they're immune to scams - that they're more likely to happen to someone else. However, we generally find that when people are answering for others they are more inclined to reveal their true behaviour, or in this case susceptibility to online scams," said Richard Clooke, Internet Security Expert, PC Tools.
UK men are more susceptible to online scams
The survey results also indicate that certain demographic groups are more susceptible than others. For example of all the respondents, men believe they are more likely than women to provide some level of personal information in each test scenario, with the exception of the free movie offer.
Younger respondents, specifically 16-18 years old, were also the most susceptible to online scams, with an alarming 61% believing they were likely to click on an alert and download free antivirus software, compared to just 20% of 56 to 65 year olds.
The survey results also indicated that respondents from the following demographics are more susceptible to online scams:
- Males
- 16-18 year olds
- Labour supporters
- GCSE level as highest level of education
- Residing in the East Midlands
- Household incomes between £15,000 and £25,000.
Education and Protection
"The longer term concern is that while the survey results indicate that consumers from the UK are not the most susceptible, online scams cost the UK consumer billions of pounds every year.
Unless consumer behaviour is addressed through education, the incidence of cybercriminals seeking to cash in on consumer trust, greed, compassion and naivety online is likely to increase exponentially" said Clooke.
Unfortunately, many consumers don't realise that some online scams don't involve malware. Traditional Internet security is essential to maintain protection against viruses and malicious files and websites, but cybercriminals are changing their methods by tricking consumers into revealing their personal information, and this requires a very different protection approach.
"Whether it's a get-rich-quick scheme or an offer to download the latest movie, when an offer is too good to be true, the new scam protection from PC Tools asks you to think twice about sharing your personal and financial information online," said Clooke.
-ENDS-
About the Survey
The Ponemon Institute worked with PC Tools to develop and conduct a survey that utilised a series of fixed format questions to ensure objectivity and accuracy. The primary collection channel was a secure extranet website and no personally identifiable information was collected from the respondent. Survey results were collected in conformance with survey ethics and privacy practices.
The survey utilised a representative sample of 1,357 UK consumers, 1,022 Australian consumers, and 1,858 US consumers, all aged 16-65 who frequently use the Internet. All results were independently fielded from mid-October to early November 2011. Using scientific sampling methods, a total of 34,550 individuals from the UK were invited to participate in this survey. This resulted in a total return of 1,502 completed surveys from UK respondents. Reliability tests required the removal of survey results from 143 UK respondents, which resulted in a final sample of 1,357 (or a response rate of 3.9 percent).
Ponemon constructed an independent variable called the Scam Index to measure each respondent's susceptibility to an online scam. The test scenarios included the most prevalent social engineering techniques including an online prize, free antivirus solutions, get rich quick schemes, online shopping, online donations and free movie downloads. In addition to scenario data, the survey collected attitudinal and demographic information to determine the impact of these variables on the Scam Index.
About Ponemon
Ponemon Institute is dedicated to independent research and education that advances responsible information and privacy management practices within business and government. Its mission is to conduct high quality, empirical studies on critical issues affecting the management and security of sensitive information about people and organizations.
As a member of the Council of American Survey Research Organisations (CASRO), the Ponemon Institute upholds strict information confidentiality, privacy and ethical research standards. It does not collect any personally identifiable information from individuals (or organisation identifiable information in its business research). Furthermore, the Ponemon Institute has strict quality standards to ensure that subjects are not asked extraneous, irrelevant or improper questions.
About PC Tools
PC Tools is dedicated to building simple, effective and affordable PC protection and performance tools. For over thirteen years, we have offered industry-leading and award-winning products to tackle the world's evolving threats and security challenges.
The PC Tools Malware Research Centre monitors trends and emerging spyware issues and provides security solutions for the consumer and enterprise marketplace. The company has staff in Mountain View, Sydney, London and Kiev. PC Tools has a global network of distributors, resellers and retailers.
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