33% of Irish people say they have lost money to a fraudster.
Irish people aged 55 and above claim to have lost an average of €1,320 to fraudsters, which is six times the amount that 18-to-24-year-olds claim to have lost to fraudsters, which totalled €228.
As part of Fraud Awareness Week, which runs from today (Monday 23 September) to Friday, former Government Minister Mary O’Rourke is urging older people in particular to talk to family and friends about their concerns with potential scams and frauds.
The statistics release from fraudSMART.ie reveal that over one-in-five older people are targeted once a week, with 22% found to be a target for fraudsters on a regular basis.
Older people are more likely to targeted via email, with over 37% of the scams contact over-55s that way, but that same age group are more likely to be protective of their PIN at an ATM, with 70% actively attempting to hide the numbers they input, compared to 51% of young adults.
Mary O’Rourke stated that “I myself have been targeted by scams over the years, from calls to my landline looking to fix a problem with my computer to emails pretending to offer tax refunds.
“My advice, especially for older people, is to learn the warning signs so that you can act at the time.
“My grandchildren are in their teens now and their age group is just as susceptible as mine. It really is an issue that affects all of society, so I am delighted to launch Fraud Awareness Week and be part of the national conversation on such an important topic.”
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