Barclays Exposes The Defining Scam Trends Of 2025

Half of UK adults (50 per cent) are more worried about falling victim to a scam than they were 12 months ago, according to the latest Barclays Scams Bulletin. As analysis of Barclays’ proprietary data reveals how fraudsters are changing tactics to target victims, Fraud & Scams Expert Kirsty Adams shares her top tips on staying scam safe in 2026.

Key Findings:

• Half of UK adults (45 per cent) have been targeted by a scam this year, rising to two thirds of Gen Z (64 per cent)

• Barclays scams data shows investment scams accounted for 47p in every £1 claimed by victims in 2025 – up from 39p in 2024 and 32p in 2023

• While social media remains the biggest source of scams, average monthly volumes of scams originating via text/SMS have increased 40 per cent from 2024

Investment Scams On The Rise

Barclays’ claims data shows that investment scams accounted for almost half (47 per cent) of the total value of total claims in 2025, up from 39 per cent in 2024 and 32 per cent in 2023. Despite investment scams’ significant share of the overall value of claims, they represent just 7.1 per cent of the volume of reports in 2025 – however, this is up from 5.6 per cent in 2024.

Purchase scams maintained the largest share of claims, at 71 per cent, unchanged from last year. One in three (35 per cent) reported investment scams originated on social media.

Fraudsters Are Turning To Text, But Social Media Remains Top Scam Source

Looking more broadly at all scam types, social media remains the biggest source of reports by Gen Z customers in 2025, accounting for six in 10 (58 per cent) cases, compared with 45 per cent across all generations.

Amid significant advances and widespread adoption of artificial intelligence this year, three in four (75 per cent) believe AI has made online scams more convincing. This has led to one in three Gen Z consumers (34 per cent) now actively avoiding online shopping due to scam concerns – the highest rate of any generation, and 12 percentage points higher than older age groups (22 per cent).

Barclays data shows that these scammers have responded to this declining online confidence by pivoting towards more direct and trusted channels. Average monthly reports of scams originating via text/SMS have increased 40 per cent from 2024, now accounting for 14 per cent of claims.

One In Four Are Skipping Finfluencer Background Checks To Avoid FOMO

Barclays research also found that 42 per cent of those who acted on social media investment content lost money – and not always by being scammed. While scams involve deliberate fraud, many investors also face losses after following unregulated advice from ‘finfluencers’. One in four (24 per cent) say they feel pressured to act quickly on unsolicited tips, often mistaking displays of wealth for credibility. This rises to 48 per cent among Gen Z (18–27).

Consumers Show Growing Support For Data Sharing To Fight Scams

Eight in 10 (81 per cent) consumers believe more work should be done to protect them from scams, and 79 per cent think tech companies should do more to prevent scams occurring on their platforms, up from 75 per cent in spring of this year. Almost half (45 per cent) would welcome tech companies and banks sharing personal data with each other, if it was done to prevent them falling victim to a scam.

Barclays Fraud and Scams Expert Kirsty Adams, says: “Once again, scammers adopted new tactics in 2025, and as a result we saw a shift in the nature of scams reported by our customers. While fraudsters targeted victims with higher-stakes opportunities, we witnessed the resurgence of scams coming via text message, as confidence in online channels has declined."

“There’s no doubt that scammers will attempt to take advantage of shoppers during the festive sales, so we’re urging people to remain vigilant. Looking ahead to 2026, we’re hopeful we will see continued progress in the fight against fraud, in the form of cross-industry collaboration.”

Kirsty’s top tips on staying ahead of the scammers in 2026:

• Never disclose personal details: Your bank will never ask you for your debit card PIN, your password, or your complete online banking login details. Requests along these lines should jump out as a red flag.
  

• Verify company details: If you are in doubt about a company that has contacted you by phone, it is always worth double checking their contact details. Check official websites and call the listed number directly yourself.
  

• Take your time: When it comes to making purchases online or committing to an investment, don’t be forced into making any hasty decisions. Always remember that legitimate organisations shouldn’t push you into anything.
  

• Be sceptical of promises: Our data shows the average investment scam claim is higher than any other scam type. Remember the old adage; if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and remain sceptical of any promise of unrealistic returns.
  

• Beware of scam texts: If you’re sent a one-time passcode to authorise a payment or registration, always read the full message to check it matches up with what you’re doing. If it doesn’t, stop the transaction and don’t use the code or give it to anyone.