Every second Pole is exposed to this. Most often those aged 30-39

Every second Pole is exposed to this. The data doesn’t lie

The report conducted by Santander Consumer Bank regarding online security is not optimistic at all. He showed that as many as 55 percent Poles have received at least one e-mail, text message or message on social media from fraudsters impersonating loved ones or well-known institutions. But that’s not all, as many as 18 percent respondents admitted that they had actually fallen victim to such actions.

As the results of our study show, every fifth respondent admitted that he had been a victim of extortion of money or confidential information by cybercriminals. It is worth noting that although older people are perceived as more susceptible, only 11 percent seniors actually experienced cyber fraud. Moreover, among the youngest adults, i.e. in the 18-29 age group, this percentage was as high as 24 percent. Although 73 percent respondents stated that they had never encountered such situations, it is still worth remaining vigilant. Caution and consideration before clicking on an unknown link may be crucial for our safety online.

– we read in the SCB report.

Why do we keep falling for this?

Criminals constantly analyze the target groups of their attacks to make their actions as effective as possible. By analyzing data from social media and online activity, they can profile potential victims quite well.

It’s not just seniors anymore

The SCB report showed that fraud most often affects people aged 30-39. As many as 66 percent of people in this group had experience with them. For comparison, in the group of seniors (60+) the percentage of this type of crimes was 36 percent.

The report also contains advice and tips on how to protect yourself against this type of threats and avoid being deceived by fraudsters.

Any unusual messages or calls related to financial matters should be treated as suspicious and should be verified by calling back the verified number of the alleged caller. Let us also remember to report all successful attack attempts to law enforcement authorities. It is also worth notifying the CERT Polska team (also about unsuccessful attempts) – reports can be submitted at https://incydent.cert.pl, and suspicious SMS messages can be forwarded to the free number 8080.

– says Adam Haertle, trainer and safety expert.

Only our increased vigilance will save us. Especially as fraud attempts continue to multiply. They also concern an increasing group of Poles who use e-mails, text messages and other instant messengers such as Messanger and WhatsApp.

The study was carried out on behalf of Santander Consumer Bank – a bank providing loans using the telephone method, standardized computer-assisted questionnaire interviews (CATI), conducted by the Institute of Market and Social Research (IBRiS) on September 2-7, 2024. A representative group of adults took part in the study. Poles (1,000) using the Internet.

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