Fraud fear stops over-50s going online

17 December 2007

Survey reveals biggest factor stopping over-50s surfing the net is fear of fraud

A survey by the Post Office has uncovered that people aged over 50 avoid going online because they are scared of online fraud.

The survey consisted of 942 adults aged over 50 polled by ICM. Of these, around 41% expressed that fears of internet fraud stopped them going online and 31% said that confusing internet jargon was holding them back from surfing the web. Over 50% said that they preferred direct contact with someone.

Demos, a think-tank, found from a separate survey that government departments could save £400m if more over-50s were using the internet.

To achieve this, Demos recommended that more training and tailored IT support was made available to those aged over 50. Additionally, it suggested that IT sales staff undergo age awareness training to make it easier for older people to buy computers and the necessary equipment to get them online.

The report also highlighted other difficulties faced by the older generations.

It said: “Older people are more likely to suffer from disabilities or impairments, which make becoming digitally literate more challenging.”

Based on the findings from Demos, Help the Aged said: “Demos have highlighted that ‘digital skills’ are actually key ‘life skills’ in today’s society”.

It has also been said that the findings highlight how those who do not have the internet are likely to feel more excluded as advances are made.

Head of marketing for the Post Office, Gary Hockey Morley, said: “The 17 million households who are not yet internet-enabled will become increasingly excluded as more services are delivered online.”