Surprising results

If you were asked to pick the most vulnerable demographic to tech support scams, chances are your answer would lean towards the older generation. Traditionally, the elderly have less experience/knowledge of technology, and could therefore be more at risk of falling victim to these scams.

Microsoft’s survey results, however, show that Gen Z, millennials and males are the most vulnerable to tech support scams – a surprising revelation, given that the younger generation is, on the whole, more digitally savvy. This, however, appears to be the cause of their overconfidence and false sense of security – these groups are the most likely to lose money after continuing an interaction with scammers.

These demographics, the results show, engage in riskier online behavior such as visiting torrent sites, have a greater familiarity with technology companies than older generations, and are potentially hurt by overconfidence in their device and web expertise.

The highest risk to Gen Z, millenials and males are pop-up ads/windows, while millennials and males are the two demographics most likely to lose money. Telephone tech support scams, on the other hand, are the one area experienced more by older consumers, than by younger internet users. This supports the potential link between familiarity, trust, and ultimately, susceptibility to scams.

Millennials and Gen Z were also found to be more trusting than older generations of reputable companies making unsolicited contact. This trust may result from a lack of experience or naivete, as well as differing expectations among those more familiar with technology companies than older generations.

“Generation Z and millennials are digital natives, having grown up surrounded by more technology than previous generations,” says Hardoy. “The internet and technology are innate to their daily lives and they have developed an expertise and acceptance that can sometimes prevent them from being able to step back and question certain situations.”

“Educating young users on an ongoing basis about online risks in order to stay safe is critical, and Microsoft is working on raising consumer awareness of these scams so that people will recognise fraud attempts and not become victims. We also continually work to enhance our technology to help identify and prevent scams before they happen in order to protect consumers from fraudulent attacks.”