A January 2024 survey of adults in the United Kingdom (UK) found that poorly written content was the most common way of spotting suspicious posts on social media. According to the survey, 50 percent of the individuals 16 years and older saw poor English grammar and spelling mistakes as a sign not to trust the post they saw on social media platforms. Additionally, 44 percent of respondents thought a post was untrustworthy when they could not recognize the account that posted the content.
Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought posts on social media were suspicious as of January 2024
Characteristic
Share of respondents
Poorly written content (e.g. wrong spelling/grammar/poor spoken English)
50%
Didn't recognise/know the number/sender/account who called/messaged/posted the content
44%
Offered rewards which seemed 'too good to be true' (e.g. promise of free money/unrealistically high return on investment/extremely low price for a product/service)
38%
Suspicious imagery (e.g. photos of a luxurious lifestyle/money)
28%
Inconsistent profile information (e.g. photos/bio of the supposedly same person didn't match)
28%
Heard/saw warnings about it before
22%
No/poor-quality logo
16%
The call/message was from an international number/abroad
13%
Not endorsed by a credible person
11%
Not endorsed by a credible organisation
11%
The scammer expressed a strong personal/emotional attachment too soon
Original question: "Still thinking about the suspicious content or activity you've experienced via [type of channel]...Which of the following reasons made you think it was suspicious? (Please select all that apply).Suspicious posts on social media (e.g. Facebook, X, (formerly Twitter) Instagram etc.)"
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Ofcom, & YouGov. (January 31, 2024). Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought posts on social media were suspicious as of January 2024 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 19, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546892/uk-adults-suspicious-post-social-media-signs/
Ofcom, und YouGov. "Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought posts on social media were suspicious as of January 2024." Chart. January 31, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 19, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546892/uk-adults-suspicious-post-social-media-signs/
Ofcom, YouGov. (2024). Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought posts on social media were suspicious as of January 2024. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 19, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546892/uk-adults-suspicious-post-social-media-signs/
Ofcom, and YouGov. "Reasons Adults in The United Kingdom (Uk) Thought Posts on Social Media Were Suspicious as of January 2024." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Jan 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546892/uk-adults-suspicious-post-social-media-signs/
Ofcom & YouGov, Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought posts on social media were suspicious as of January 2024 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546892/uk-adults-suspicious-post-social-media-signs/ (last visited December 19, 2024)
Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought posts on social media were suspicious as of January 2024 [Graph], Ofcom, & YouGov, January 31, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546892/uk-adults-suspicious-post-social-media-signs/
