The elderly in the UK are increasingly targeted by scammers and abusers, with phone-based fraud and economic exploitation reaching alarming levels, according to recent studies and reports.
A University of Portsmouth study, ‘Fear and Phoning: Telephones, Fraud, and Older Adults in the UK’, highlights that two-fifths (40%) of elderly adults face phone-based fraud attempts daily, weekly, or monthly. The study, published in December 2023, interviewed nearly 2,000 participants, with more than 80% over the age of 75. The research found that two-thirds of respondents had experienced at least one fraud attempt in the past six months, with 20% reporting weekly harassment. Phone-based fraud remains the most common method, accounting for 75% of cases—60% via voice calls and 11% through text messages.
Study author Mark Button, Director of the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime, described phone fraud as a widespread issue targeting older technologies. "These calls are often daily or weekly occurrences for older adults," he noted. "Even when many recognise the fraud and hang up, the constant pressure has significant impacts on mental health and quality of life."
Despite this, data from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reveals a shift in fraud tactics. Between 2020 and 2023, email and text-based scams surged, while phone impersonation attempts dropped from 67% to 32%. However, the study suggests older adults remain disproportionately affected by phone-based scams in the UK.
Economic abuse on the rise too
Alongside fraud, economic abuse against the elderly is escalating. Hourglass, the UK's only charity dedicated to safeguarding older adults, reported a 65% increase in calls to its helpline during 2023/24, totalling over 75,000 contacts. These included cases of economic abuse amounting to over £53 million in reported losses across three years—an average of £87,000 per case.
Commenting on the figures, Richard Robinson CEO of Hourglass, said, “There is no question we are facing an epidemic of abuse of older people in the UK but it remains firmly under the radar. We estimate that abuse of older people costs the UK economy £16 billion per year, excluding economic abuse, and this equates to a figure of £50k per victim-survivor per year.
“We are sleepwalking into a scenario where we are expecting more than nine million extra older people in the UK by 2050, equivalent to another city with the population of London, but with little pre-planning around safer ageing, abuse services and specialist safeguarding. We are already at epidemic levels – without urgent work, we are looking at a tidal wave of issues.”
New winter fuel payments scam preys on pensioners
As the colder months approach, a newly uncovered scam is targeting elderly citizens, exploiting government programs designed to assist with winter heating costs.
Fraudsters are sending fake text messages about Winter Fuel Payments and cost-of-living support, urging recipients to visit fraudulent websites. These sites are designed to harvest personal and payment information, putting pensioners’ finances at serious risk. The scam comes at a particularly opportunistic time, coinciding with recent updates to the UK government’s Winter Fuel Payments program.
The fraudulent campaign often begins with a text message urging recipients to fill out an application form to avoid missing payments or benefits. Some messages are disguised as final notices, claiming the form must be completed by a specific date, such as November 12, to receive winter fuel credits on time. The messages include links to websites mimicking official UK government pages, with domain names designed to appear credible, often containing phrases like "gov" and "notices." Once on these phishing pages, victims are prompted to provide personal and payment details, which scammers can use to commit fraud.
UK law enforcement agencies are warning pensioners to remain vigilant against such scams. Officials advise against clicking on unsolicited links or sharing sensitive information through suspicious messages. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which administers Winter Fuel Payments, has also emphasised that official communications will not require payment details to be submitted online. Pensioners are encouraged to verify the legitimacy of any correspondence by directly contacting government agencies.
“Areas of significant concern that remain neglected”
Virendra Sharma, former Member of Parliament for Ealing Southall, in his time as an MP has raised this issue extensively and even ran a campaign about the same. In conversation with Asian Voice about elderly abuse in general, he said, “ I believe this is an area that is often overlooked by the public, with many showing little interest in it. However, I strongly feel that this is a crucial time to address it. During my time in Parliament, I raised this issue, engaged with local communities, and held meetings in various areas to bring attention to it and I continue to support such initiatives.”
Mr Sharma doesn’t believe this issue has received the attention it truly deserves. “While some progress has been made, there are still areas of significant concern that remain neglected. People often fail to pay enough attention to them. Coming from a different cultural background, I view this issue through a unique lens, shaped by my heritage. Among the Asian community, in particular, this area is increasingly being overlooked or ignored.”
He further added, “In addition to common crimes like pickpocketing and chain-snatching, I believe that online fraud, is on the rise. It's not just about online scams—many elderly individuals, especially within the South Asian community, are less informed about these risks. As a result, they can become easy targets. Scammers have become increasingly sophisticated, and they prey on innocent people who trust others too easily, making them more vulnerable. In my constituency, particularly among the South Asian community, there has been a noticeable increase in both online fraud and general crime.”
Commenting on what needs to change, the former MP said, “The system, along with those who care for the elderly, needs to engage with day centres and encourage families to offer moral support to their elderly members. It's important for the system to partner with local communities to raise awareness and provide the necessary resources and support where it is most needed.”
Ofcom sets online safety priorities, studies social media impact on children
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has outlined the government’s priorities for Ofcom as it prepares to enforce the Online Safety Act next year.
The ‘Statement of Strategic Priorities’ focuses on embedding safety into platforms, increasing tech company transparency on online harms, and fostering a safer, more inclusive digital environment. A new study will examine the impact of smartphones and social media on children to guide future online safety policies.
From spring, Ofcom will align with these goals while regularly reporting progress to the government. The priorities include:
Safety by Design: Protecting users, especially children, and eliminating illegal activity.
Transparency: Holding tech companies accountable and building trust.
Agile Regulation: Tackling emerging risks like AI-generated content.
Inclusivity: Promoting a harm-resistant digital world.
Innovation: Advancing online safety technologies.
The NSPCC welcomed the move, urging action to disrupt abuse and protect children. The government pledged swift implementation of the Act to create safer online spaces.
