{"id":1137682,"date":"2022-06-29T16:35:52","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T16:35:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/06\/29\/fraudsters-set-to-target-people-aged-under-35-on-whatsapp\/"},"modified":"2022-06-29T16:35:52","modified_gmt":"2022-06-29T16:35:52","slug":"fraudsters-set-to-target-people-aged-under-35-on-whatsapp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/06\/29\/fraudsters-set-to-target-people-aged-under-35-on-whatsapp\/","title":{"rendered":"Fraudsters set to target people aged under 35 on WhatsApp"},"content":{"rendered":"

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WhatsApp fraudsters \/ Credit: GETTY IMAGES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

People under 35 are becoming the \u201cprime target\u201d for scammers to trick them into transferring money through social media platforms including WhatsApp.<\/p>\n

A banking industry body said intelligence suggested younger people were particularly hit by scams that played on their trust.<\/p>\n

UK Finance also warned that energy bill deal and tax scams were becoming more common as the cost of living rises.<\/p>\n

Criminals were \u201cbuilding on people\u2019s fears\u201d of rising prices, it said.<\/p>\n

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The banking industry body said that while people of all age groups are falling victim to scams, \u201cit is younger age groups that are often the prime target\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur research found that people under 35 are more likely than older age groups to have been targeted in an impersonation scam and be swayed to provide personal or financial information,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

Data from Barclays this month also showed people aged 21-30 were the most likely age group to fall victim to scams, due to the majority taking place on social media, shopping sites and dating apps.<\/p>\n

UK Finance added that con artists were targeting all age groups by exploiting \u201cweaknesses outside of the banking system\u201d, through online and social media platforms.<\/p>\n

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