The study is based on tests where 2,000 people were exposed to various fraud attempts and then recorded how the different test subjects reacted to the attempt. The tests included everything from fake Facebook pages to various contests promising fake prizes.
In the age group 25 to 34 years, three out of seven women were deceived by the various fraud attempts. When it comes to fraud where a “friend” is said to be in need and asks for money, a majority of the men were deceived.
Online fraud affects 1.8 million Britons every year and costs the UK £2.7 billion a year (about SEK 30 billion), writes the British Guardian.
British women also spend more time in front of the computer with an average of 24.8 hours per month compared to the British men who spend an average of 22.9 hours per month.
A similar study conducted in Sweden last year shows that 45 percent of Swedes have no idea how to distinguish a fake website from a real one.