Two-thirds of mobile phone-owning 13 to 16-year-olds ‘targeted by scam texts’

More than two-thirds (68%) of mobile phone-owning 13 to 16-year-olds believe they have been targeted with scam text messages, a survey has indicated.

The research was commissioned by Virgin Media O2, which said it had blocked 168 million suspected fraudulent texts over the past two years, with scams including fake TikTok job offers, bogus deals and discounts for popular brands, as well as fake delivery company messages.

Ahead of Safer Internet Day on February 11, parents and guardians are being urged to speak to teenagers about the risks of scam texts.

Among those who had received a scam text, 43% said they had clicked on a link that downloaded harmful software on to their device, while 41% had provided personal details such as their name or address.

A third (34%) said they had been tricked into buying goods that never arrived, according to the Censuswide survey of more than 1,000 13 to 16-year-olds in January.

Despite more than three-quarters (77%) of teenagers saying they could confidently identify a scam, when presented with a deal for a takeaway pizza, almost half (48%) thought it was real when it was fake, researchers said.

Examples of scam texts reported to O2 during January included a message saying: “Hello, I am from Tiktok Human Resources Department. We sincerely invite you to use your free time to watch TikTok videos and help to click like the videos. You can get paid by 300-800 pounds per day. We are waiting for you and look forward to working with you. Please contact us as soon as possible to get job details.”

Another fake message said: “Good news! Your account has been credited with your December winnings. View them here (with a link to a bogus website).”

Virgin Media O2 has a “find the right words” campaign with online safety experts Internet Matters.

Murray Mackenzie, director of fraud prevention at Virgin Media O2, said: “We know how convincing scammers’ messages can be, with promises of too-good-to-be-true deals, discounts and job offers from well-known brands that tempt young people into clicking on dodgy links or parting with their money for items that never existed.”

Ghislaine Bombusa, content and digital director at Internet Matters, said: “This Safer Internet Day we want to arm parents with the knowledge and resources they need to keep their children safe from scams while they spend time online.”

The organisations are providing parents and guardians with tips to share with teenagers:

1. Check the source is reliable.

If a friend or follower sends a link from their account, verify it was actually from them by using a different platform, for example, in case their account was hacked.

Remember that official-looking logos do not mean something came from that company.

2. Keep your personal information safe.

If anyone online asks for personal information, payment details or any sort of action, confirm the request is genuine before doing so.

Use different passwords for your accounts and anti-virus software.

3. Take time to think.

If something feels off or like it is too good to be true, take time to look into it before clicking links or giving details.

Red flags may include spelling errors, few reviews or low ratings, comments from others calling something a scam and an expensive item being offered for a very low price.

4. Have regular conversations.

It is good to have family chats about staying safe from scams regularly in a relaxed and natural way.

One way could be to try bringing up news stories or TV plotlines relating to internet safety to talk about what teenagers would do if a similar issue happened to one of their friends.

Parents can also use their own experiences to discuss situations that might go wrong online.

Will Gardner, director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, said: “As the coordinators of Safer Internet Day 2025, we’ve listened closely to young people and their concerns about online scams. When deciding this year’s theme, it was clear that children and young people wanted more support in navigating these threats.

“That’s why on Tuesday February 11, Safer Internet Day, will focus on raising awareness about online scams. We’re excited to have thousands of schools and organisations working together to reach millions of young people, supporting them, along with their parents and carers, to stay safe online.”