Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought messages on social media were suspicious as of January 2024
Characteristic
Share of respondents
Didn't recognise/know the number/sender/account who called/messaged/posted the content
55%
Poorly written content (e.g. wrong spelling/grammar/poor spoken English)
49%
Offered rewards which seemed 'too good to be true' (e.g. promise of free money/unrealistically high return on investment/extremely low price for a product/service)
30%
Inconsistent profile information (e.g. photos/bio of the supposedly same person didn't match)
24%
The call/message was from an international number/abroad
20%
Suspicious imagery (e.g. photos of a luxurious lifestyle/money)
20%
Heard/saw warnings about it before
19%
No/poor-quality logo
14%
The scammer expressed a strong personal/emotional attachment too soon
14%
Not endorsed by a credible person
9%
Not endorsed by a credible organisation
9%
Can't remember
6%
No/few testimonials/reviews
4%
Poor testimonials/reviews
3%
Other
3%
Don't know
3%
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Original question: "Still thinking about the suspicious content or activity you've experienced via [type of channel]...Which of the following reasons made you think it was suspicious? (Please select all that apply)."
Citation formats
UK adults reasons for thinking messages on social media were suspicious 2024
A January 2024 survey of adults in the United Kingdom (UK) found that the most common reason for thinking a message sent to them was suspicious, was not recognizing the sender's account, with 55 percent of the respondents stating so. Furthermore, the second-most common sign of a suspicious message was the poorly written content, full of grammar errors.
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Ofcom, & YouGov. (January 31, 2024). Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought messages on social media were suspicious as of January 2024 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 07, 2026, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546898/uk-adults-suspicious-messages-social-media/
Ofcom, und YouGov. "Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought messages on social media were suspicious as of January 2024." Chart. January 31, 2024. Statista. Accessed May 07, 2026. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546898/uk-adults-suspicious-messages-social-media/
Ofcom, YouGov. (2024). Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought messages on social media were suspicious as of January 2024. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 07, 2026. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546898/uk-adults-suspicious-messages-social-media/
Ofcom, and YouGov. "Reasons Adults in The United Kingdom (Uk) Thought Messages on Social Media Were Suspicious as of January 2024." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Jan 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546898/uk-adults-suspicious-messages-social-media/
Ofcom & YouGov, Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought messages on social media were suspicious as of January 2024 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546898/uk-adults-suspicious-messages-social-media/ (last visited May 07, 2026)
Reasons adults in the United Kingdom (UK) thought messages on social media were suspicious as of January 2024 [Graph], Ofcom, & YouGov, January 31, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1546898/uk-adults-suspicious-messages-social-media/
