An eye for scam attempts(?)
Imagine getting an email from your bank claiming your account has been frozen due to suspicious activity. To fix the situation, the sender urges you to act quickly by clicking on the weird-looking link attached to the email. Would you do it? Research results suggest that almost half of the US population just might.
Americans have room for improvement when it comes to avoiding clicking on suspicious links. Survey results revealed that in 2024, 46% of the US respondents engaged with an email link that they later realized was part of a cyber scam. Interestingly, 28% of 28-43-year-old US respondents admitted to falling for a malicious link more than once — the highest of all age groups. Meanwhile, a third (33%) of the US baby boomers (60-78 year-olds) claimed to have not clicked on any suspicious link in 2024.
Another statistic that caught the attention of researchers was the number of business proprietors (owners or partners) who've fallen to phishing scams more than once (36%). Similarly, a third of respondents living in the cities have also fallen for suspicious links at least twice (33%). Such correlation, while theoretical, may suggest that people who live in fast-paced environments and extensively use computers to manage business operations (for example, business owners in large cities) may be more vulnerable to phishing scams than those who live in more peaceful settlements (such as suburbs, small towns, or rural areas) or work as hired workers.
Spam them ‘till you scam them
The research participants were also asked about the number of different scams they've encountered in the last two years. Across all participating countries, links to fake login pages, gift card scams, delivery scams, and calls or messages from fake tech support or bank employees were among the most common types of fraud. The research also showed that in the US, members of Gen Z (18-27-year-olds) and the baby boomer generation encountered a greater variety of scams (3) than members of Gen Y (28-43-year-olds) or Gen X (44-59-year-olds).
The results also showed that respondents from low-income households were the least attractive targets for scammers, with 70% encountering at least one scam in the last two years (while average- and high-income households scored 79% and 82%, respectively). These statistics may suggest that despite lower-income households being the least profitable scam options, they're still a potential target for scammers. This is likely because threat actors aim to maximize their returns by casting the scam net as widely as possible, regardless of the target's financial status.
Costly consequences
It's no secret that falling for scams can cause the victim significant financial loss (ranging from hijacked and drained bank accounts to fines and lawsuits suffered because of failure to protect customer data). The research seemed to support this statement — out of 78% of Americans who have encountered at least one scam over the past two years, 20% have lost money because of it. While most victims (76%) claimed to have lost up to $1,000, a few respondents sustained financial damage worth $5,000 or more. A small fraction of American participants (6%) refused to disclose their lost amount.
Of those who've lost money, business owners and self-employed workers, such as shop owners or craftspeople, were among the top victims (40% and 43%, respectively, having lost money to scams encountered in the last two years). These numbers support the hypothesis that scammers target small businesses lacking robust cybersecurity measures. That might make it a good time to explore cyber insurance options such as NordProtect, which comes with dark web monitoring services and cyber extortion protection.
“Mildly” infuriating technology
Digital technology is a blessing that comes with its positives and negatives. With the number of scams rising, part of this research aimed to evaluate the worst aspects of technology from the public's perspective. Half of US respondents agreed that the worst aspect of technology was the risk of personal data being leaked online, closely followed by lack of privacy (48%) and the technology's susceptibility to hacking (47%).
Further results also showed that American baby boomers have a more negative opinion of technology than younger generations (only 1% of older people claimed to see no bad aspects in technology, compared to 9% of 18-24-year-olds). Such a result suggests that younger generations may feel more positive about technology (likely due to their confidence with digital gadgets) than seniors, to whom digital technology may be a more foreign concept.
A skeptical feeling about the future
Finally, the research also aimed to evaluate the participants’ opinions on the potential future of online scams. Based on the data, Americans showed skepticism, with 70% agreeing that scams will worsen in 2025. The biggest skeptics were those who have seen the most in life (aged 60-78), 88% of whom agreed with the initial statement.
While all respondents emphasized scammers, lack of regulation, blurred lines between fake and real content, and rapid AI advancement to be the biggest risks of technology (seniors being the dominating sample), younger respondents showed higher concern about the danger of digital addiction (38% among 18-24-year-olds) and technology's impact on the environment (21% among 25-34-year-olds).
Methodology
The survey was commissioned by NordVPN and conducted by the external company Cint in December 2024. The survey's target group was residents of the US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan aged 18-74 (nationally representative). The sample was taken from national internet users. Quotas were placed on age, gender, and place of residence. In total, 7,022 people were surveyed — at least 1,000 from each country (1,001 in the US).
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