Older people good on security but not on scams

Older people are generally vigilant about personal security, but less careful about the danger of becoming caught up in scams, according to a new survey.

Elderly people are vulnerable to scams, according to a survey. Picture: Thinkstock/Getty Images

Some 86 per cent of people aged 55 or over always check they have locked the door before leaving the house, and just over 70 per cent make sure they have not been short changed after a cash purchase, the research found.

However a quarter of those surveyed by Santander admit they do not always check their online bank account for unusual payments, 27 per cent admit they do not always shield their PIN at the cashpoint, while a third say they would share their personal details over the phone. Only one third (32 per cent) said they have taken steps to safeguard against fraud in the last 12 months.

The survey also found that one in five people aged 55 or over believe they have been victims of an attempted scam in the past 12 months.

Of those, 70 per cent said they had received an email which they thought was a scam, 36 per cent had been called by a potential fraudster and 13 per cent had been sent a scam in the post.

More than a third (36 per cent) admit they have no knowledge of how the most common types of scams work.