EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
HOW IS THE COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS CAUSING ONE- IN-10 BRITS TO ENGAGE IN ‘ ILLEGAL OR ILLICIT ’ ONLINE BEHAVIOUR AND HOW CAN THIS BE AVOIDED ?
Eskenzi PR & Marketing , a leading global PR and Marketing agency for the cybersecurity industry , has released further results from the 2023 Cost of Living Crisis Survey , which aimed to understand how Britons – and the cybercriminals who target them – have been coping with the seemingly ever-worsening cost-of-living crisis .
The results of the survey found that 11 % of Brits were tempted to engage in ‘ illegal or illicit online behaviour ’ in order to help manage the fallout from the cost-of-living crisis . This statistic becomes even more concerning when focused on younger people , with almost a quarter of 25 – 35-year-old respondents ( 23 %) willing to consider illegal or illicit online activity , reflecting Britain ’ s endemic problem of generational wealth inequality .
While it is obviously concerning that so many Britons are willing to engage in this kind of activity , the reasons underpinning this decision are reflective of the bleak state of the nation in 2023 , as the cost-ofliving crisis continues to squeeze many households . Of those willing to engage in this kind of behaviour , 56 % suggested it was because they are desperate and struggling to get by , with a need to find alternative means of supporting their families .
While these results show that the general public are responding to the cost-of-living crisis , previous results from the 2023 Cost of Living Crisis Survey showed that cybercriminals are responding in kind : 44 % of respondents have also noticed an uptick in online scams hitting their inboxes since the cost-of-living crisis began in late 2021 / early 2022 . Another worrying finding is that this uptick is proving devastatingly effective for scammers : over one-in-10 ( 13 %) of UK respondents have already been scammed since the crisis began . This rises to a quarter ( 26 %) of respondents in the 18 – 25 age range , reflecting a hyper-online lifestyle and culture which scammers can work to exploit effectively .
Perhaps most worrying is that these scams appear to be working . For example , a quarter ( 25 %) of those who have noticed more scams in their inbox since the beginning of the cost-of-living crisis have fallen victim to a scammer , compared to just 3 % of those who have not .
“ These findings paint a bleak picture of both the current mood of many UK residents responding to the cost-of-living crisis and of the cybercriminal landscape in which scammers are seeking to exploit the corresponding desperation ,” said Yvonne Eskenzi , Founder of Eskenzi PR .
“ The completely natural human desire to protect and support your family is a commendable one , but as experts in the online cybercrime landscape , we would advise anyone tempted to engage in illegal or illicit online behaviour to exercise extreme caution . Adding fuel to this fire simply works to ensure the cycle of misery created continues to wreak havoc on an already vulnerable general public . The best thing that people can do in response to illegal online behaviour is to remain hyper-vigilant to the kind of scams we have seen such a dramatic rise in and follow expert guidance and advice .”
34 INTELLIGENTCIO EUROPE www . intelligentcio . com