Santander UK has unveiled the latest findings from its inaugural Quarterly Scamtracker, revealing a concerning £18.4m stolen through scams in the first quarter of 2025. This represents a 13% decline from the previous quarter, yet the figures remain alarmingly high, with new scam trends emerging, complicating the threat landscape.
Impersonation, advance fee, and romance/friendship scams have emerged as the leading types of fraud, collectively contributing to nearly £3.5m of the stolen amount. Notably, despite the widespread awareness of romance/friendship scams among 63% of consumers, and 49% recognising impersonation scams, only 17% are aware of advance fee scams, highlighting a significant gap in public knowledge.
Purchase scams, though down by 17% from the previous quarter, still account for over half of all scam claims, with a notable £3.5m lost. The report also points out a niche trend where gig tickets, particularly for artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Coldplay, are being exploited by scammers, accounting for more than 10% of purchase scam claims.
Chris Ainsley, head of fraud risk management at Santander UK, expressed concern over the sophisticated pace at which scams evolve, making it challenging for consumers to stay ahead. Ainsley highlighted the recent surge in fake sportswear advertisements on Facebook, which scammed 450 customers.
He emphasised the importance of equipping customers with necessary information to fend off scammers. “While a decrease in the amount stolen by scammers is welcome, £18m is a staggering amount to have been taken from our customers and placed into the criminal underworld,” Ainsley said.
The report also detailed demographic-specific trends, where customers aged 80+ experienced a 7% increase in scam incidents, primarily through bank impersonations. Meanwhile, the 18-34 age group saw a 6% rise, driven by scams related to concert ticket purchases.
Santander plans to continue this quarterly release to track evolving scam methods and provide targeted advice to different consumer groups.
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