WHERE IN SCOTLAND IS THE MOST EXPOSED TO ONLINE SHOPPING SCAMS?
New research has revealed that Glasgow is the place in Scotland’s most exposed to online shopping scams.
The study by leading chargeback firm and online scam specialists Payback Ltd analysed ONS data on how much different age groups shop online, and the age of the population in all 32 Scottish councils to pinpoint the area most at risk of online shopping scams.
Glasgow has the population at the highest risk of online shopping scams activity, with 87.69% of people over 18 in the city set to make purchases online over the course of the year. The council has one of the largest proportions of people aged 25 and 34 years old, who make up just over one-third of the population over 18.
ONS figures show that 99% of people in this age group shop online – the highest rate, contributing to Glasgow being the most exposed area to online scams.
Edinburgh is the next high-risk area for online shopping fraud, with 87.49% of its total population over 18 likely to make purchases online this year. Out of the 403,595 people in the council, 26% are between 25- to 34-year olds.
Third in line is Aberdeen, whose online shopping population of 150,691 means 86.90% of its population over 18 years could be exposed to nefarious online activity when making an online purchase. A little over one in ten (12.5%) are aged between 18 and 24, with ONS figures indicating that the age group is second most likely to shop online, with 96% doing so regularly.
Dundee comes fourth with 86.59% of its population set to shop online this year. The fifth highest-risk area is Stirling with 84.61% of its population regular online shoppers.
A spokesperson from Payback Ltd commented: “It is vital that online shoppers, whether new to online shopping or experienced, stay vigilant to avoid falling victim to online shopping scammers who tend to offer deceitfully attractive deals and use seasonal sales tactics to their advantage.
These findings offer a fascinating insight into the locations in Scotland that need to be more vigilant in order to enjoy a fraud-free year.”
Scottish Borders was identified as the area with the lowest risk of internet scams this year, with 81.87% of its population set to shop online this year. This is as a result of those between 55 and 64 years old forming a majority of its population, with a much lower percentage of this age group likely to shop online.
Scottish Borders was followed by Dumfries and Galloway together with Argyll and Bute, both have 82.09% of their population set to shop online this year.
The fourth least at-risk area was South Ayrshire with 82.28% of its population scrolling online to make purchases.
This left Angus as the fifth area to be least exposed to online scamming activities – 82.79% of its residents are likely to make online purchases this year.
