
FOUR in ten Scots consumers believe social media platforms and search engines are failing to adequately protect them from scams.
The new research has led to new calls to outlaw fraudulent paid-for adverts in the Online Safety Bill – to force tech firms to stop them appearing on their sites.
The study carried out by the consumer organisation Which? found that four in 10 (44%) Scottish consumers were dissatisfied with the protection from scams provided by social media platforms and search engines, more than double (20%) the number who felt protected.
This was higher than levels of dissatisfaction with the protection from scams offered by the government (39%), email providers (34%), telecommunication companies (30%) and online marketplaces (27%).
The consumer organisation alongside online scam victims, MPs and consumer and business organisations, are calling calling the government to include paid-for advertising in the Online Safety Bill to help tackle an “epidemic” of scams gripping society.
An estimated 9 million people (17%) across the UK have been targeted by a scam on social media.
One victim – Jill, 75, lost over £30,000 in a potential cryptocurrency scam in 2020.
She was tricked by an advert she saw posted by a third-party on Facebook, featuring fabricated quotes from Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden.
She thought that the advert was legitimate as it was on a site she trusted, and seemingly endorsed by a well-known