State Pensioners Targeted by 'Insidious' Friendship Scams on Social Media
There are urgent warnings about a significant increase in what experts describe as "insidious" friendship scams specifically targeting older people and Department for Work and Pensions state pensioners. These sophisticated frauds involve younger individuals using social media platforms to befriend vulnerable pensioners before systematically defrauding them out of substantial sums of money, often over extended periods.
Bank Reports Show Alarming Trend
TSB has documented a concerning rise in these scams where criminals strategically use social media to establish fake friendships as a precursor to financial exploitation. In one particularly distressing case, a TSB customer lost £4,000 after being befriended on Instagram by someone claiming to need urgent assistance with medical bills.
Caroline Abrahams, representing the charity Age UK, has characterized this type of fraud as "especially horrible and insidious." She explains that "older people who are lonely or bereaved are particularly vulnerable to being targeted, as criminals seek to exploit their isolation and yearning for friendship to part them from their money."
Devastating Consequences for Victims
The impact of these scams extends far beyond financial loss. Abrahams emphasizes that "being scammed in this way can have devastating consequences, with victims suffering catastrophic losses – destroying not just their finances but their health, wellbeing and capacity to trust other people."
Fraud specialist Steph Harrison from TSB reveals the calculated nature of these operations: "They can look through your posts and replicate or repeat some of that to try and build the relationship. It's relatively specific, which involves work on the other side." The fraudsters invest considerable time cultivating trust before making financial requests.
Additional Case Highlights Scam Sophistication
In another documented instance, a pensioner in their late sixties was defrauded through 60 separate payments after being befriended on an internet message board. The scammer posed as a young person requiring financial assistance to escape an abusive family situation, demonstrating the emotional manipulation tactics employed.
Protection and Support Resources
Older people and their families can access comprehensive advice and practical tips for staying safe online through Age UK's free national Advice Line at 0800 169 65 65, which operates 365 days annually from 8am to 7pm. Additional resources are available on Age UK's official website to help prevent such exploitation.
