A January 2024 survey of adults in the United Kingdom (UK) found that the most common reason for thinking an e-mail sent to them was suspicious, was because of the poorly written content and spelling errors. Secondly, they stated that another way they were able to spot a suspicious e-mail was that they could not recognize the sender. Around four in ten found, alarming, that the sender offered rewards which seemed too good to be true.
Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought received e-mails were suspicious as of January 2024
Characteristic
Share of respondents
Poorly written content (e.g. wrong spelling/grammar/poor spoken English)
65%
Didn't recognise/know the number/sender/account who called/messaged/posted the content
59%
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)
41%
No/poor-quality logo
29%
Heard/saw warnings about it before
23%
Suspicious imagery (e.g. photos of a luxurious lifestyle/money)
21%
The call/message was from an international number/abroad
19%
Inconsistent profile information (e.g. photos/bio of the supposedly same person didn't match)
16%
Not endorsed by a credible organisation
12%
Not endorsed by a credible person
9%
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)."
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Ofcom, & YouGov. (January 31, 2024). Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought received e-mails were suspicious as of January 2024 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 19, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546902/uk-adults-e-mails-suspicious/
Ofcom, und YouGov. "Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought received e-mails were suspicious as of January 2024." Chart. January 31, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 19, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546902/uk-adults-e-mails-suspicious/
Ofcom, YouGov. (2024). Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought received e-mails were suspicious as of January 2024. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 19, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546902/uk-adults-e-mails-suspicious/
Ofcom, and YouGov. "Reasons Adults in The United Kingdom (Uk) Thought Received E-mails Were Suspicious as of January 2024." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Jan 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546902/uk-adults-e-mails-suspicious/
Ofcom & YouGov, Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought received e-mails were suspicious as of January 2024 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546902/uk-adults-e-mails-suspicious/ (last visited December 19, 2024)
Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought received e-mails were suspicious as of January 2024 [Graph], Ofcom, & YouGov, January 31, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546902/uk-adults-e-mails-suspicious/
