- Most fell victim to the websites of the tech giants who signed the government letter
Millions of people have been scammed on big tech platforms even after the companies signed a “world-first” pledge to do more to combat online fraud, new research has revealed.
Around 6.6 million people in the UK have lost money to online scams in the last year, according to Which?.
And three-quarters of those scammed fell victim to the websites of tech giants that previously committed to the government’s Voluntary Online Fraud Charter in November 2023.
Tech companies, including Amazon, Facebook, Google, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube, promised to take “a series of measures” within six months to protect users from fraudulent content.
These included verifying new advertisers and quickly removing any fraudulent content, but scammers appear to continue to proliferate on their platforms, according to Which? investigation.
The consumer group surveyed more than 2,000 adults about the impact the Online Fraud Charter has had on the number of scams they see online and whether they feel safer.
Pledge: Technology companies including Amazon, Facebook, Google, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube have pledged to implement new measures to protect users from fraudulent content.
A fifth of people said they had come across suspicious ads or messages every day for the past six months, with some experiencing this up to several times a day.
Nearly two-thirds of the 6.6 million consumers scammed last year fell victim to social media, but fraud was also prevalent on search engines, online marketplaces and messaging platforms.
Some people were scammed on more than one platform, but the most popular site for scams was Facebook, where 37 percent fell victim, followed by Google at 33 percent and Instagram at 20 percent.
While 18 percent were scammed on Amazon and WhatsApp.
Since tech companies have agreed to take steps to address online fraud, which ones? has uncovered dozens of fraudulent online ads, including investment ads, luxury advent calendars, restaurant deals and winter fuel payments.
It has left almost three-quarters of adults distrustful of the ads they see on social media or search engines and a third are less likely to trust online platforms now, compared to a year ago.
Consumer group Which one? Calls on the government to bring forward the implementation of the Online Safety Law and fines for companies that do not eliminate online fraud.
Its director of policy and advocacy, Rocío Concha, said: ‘For every week that the government does not take action, we lose millions to scammers and organized crime groups.
“The government and regulators must act urgently to tackle the fraud epidemic or risk millions more falling victim to fraudsters.”
Meta, Google, Amazon, TikTok, X and Snapchat have been contacted for comment.
