Survey finds Ireland is 'especially targeted' by fraudsters

Phishing, bank/credit card-related hacking and fraud is on the increase in Ireland

More than one in five adults (22%) experienced their bank account or credit card being hacked last year. File picture

Six in 10 people in Ireland experienced phishing at some stage last year, the highest level seen in any country globally according to a survey by the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN).

Close to 30,000 respondents from 36 countries contributed to the annual WIN World Survey for 2022, which shows that Ireland seems to be “especially targeted” by fraudulent activity.

Those experiencing phishing in Ireland have risen from 43% in 2019 to 59% in 2022, tied with France for the highest level of phishing incidences anywhere in the world.

Bank/credit card-related hacking and fraud is also on the increase in Ireland, up almost 50% in the past two years. More than one in five adults (22%) experienced their bank account or credit card being hacked last year, with younger age groups and those in Dublin most at risk.

The survey reveals that more than half the Irish population (52%) are worried about sharing personal information online, and fewer than one in three people are aware of how their personal information is used when they do share it.

Almost three in five Irish adults feel that social networks are overwhelming their life, while only one in three believe that new technological innovations are helping to organise their life better.

Richard Colwell, CEO of RED C Research which is the Irish member of the WIN Network, said that rising experiences of fraudulent activity amongst the Irish public are “of significant concern”.

“The fact that we are near the top globally is not something to be shouting about. There is clearly more needed to be done to help people better understand when to share data and when not to, in order to better help build confidence in those working legally in this space,” he said.