Oh yes, young people may be easier targets for scams

Digital natives may think they are immune, but they get swindled more often than older adults

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If you're a digital native and consider yourself immune to all scams, the thieves have you right where they want you.

For years now, the Better Business Bureau's survey research has shown that younger adults lose money to swindlers much more often than the older people you may think of as the stereotypical victims. The Federal Trade Commission reports similar figures, with 44 per cent of people aged 20 to 29 losing money to fraud, more than double the 20 per cent of people aged 70 to 79.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on August 01, 2021, with the headline Oh yes, young people may be easier targets for scams. Subscribe