Young adults and online fraud: Caught between exposure and vulnerability

• Cybersecurity
• Human sciences
• User experience

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Fact: Young people are more likely to fall victim to fraud

In 2024, 13% of French people were victims of fraud, a figure that climbs to 18% of 18- to 24-year-olds and hits 26% among 25- to 34-year-olds [1]. This overrepresentation of young people among victims of fraud can be seen both in France and in Europe more broadly (see surveys in Belgium, Spain and Romania [2, 3, 4]), and gives rise to questions. Although they were born in the digital age, are known technophiles [5], and are often involved in decision-making in their homes, they appear to be proportionally more exposed and vulnerable to scams than their elders. This article describes how young people think about these digital risks, the likely reasons for their vulnerability, and how they adapt to the risks.

“Well, honestly, the scam came down to circumstance… That’s when you realise that… Anyone can be tricked.  

A sense of invulnerability

During interviews with young adults from 2022 to 2025 (for the methodology, see the article “Everything happened so fast!”: Online fraud victims share their stories (lien)), ), the majority of the young people involved in the study did not consider themselves the potential targets of fraudsters, as they did not have much money and believed that they were digital experts. They described their level of stress as low and did not seem particularly worried. In their view, older people and children were more likely to be scammed because they were less comfortable with digital technology.

This is what Adrien, a 22-year-old interviewee, said:

“My generation knows more about the Internet. […] I know, for example, that I’ve seen different reports on scams, fraud […] even when we were at school, we had various digital classes that explained scams and everything.  And we have quite good awareness about them, whereas older generations who don’t necessarily understand the Internet too well […] They are more likely to be taken in, not because they’re more gullible, but because they can’t imagine that you can be tricked so simply when it comes to everyday things.”  

Young people often have a cartoonish vision of the risks and they believe that, as they were born with digital technology, they would be able to identify false ads, fake emails and other scams more easily. Indeed, the majority of respondents had access to a computer from a very early age, and some also received education (through PIX, a programme run by the French Ministry of Education) at a younger age to warn them about online risks.

Why are young people over-represented among victims?

There are a number of factors that explain why young people may fall victim to types of fraud that are perceived as easy to avoid. Fraud is sometimes tailored to a specific context, like a message about a parcel when you’re actually waiting for one, or an email linked to an organisation you’ve already been in touch with. 28-year-old Timothée’s account of his experience illustrates the vulnerability of some young people to scams. He recounts how he was caught out by a fraudulent text purporting to be from the CAF (Caisse d’Allocations Familiales — French family allowance fund). His trust and his enthusiasm about getting some money led him to disclose his banking information.

“Well, honestly, the scam came down to circumstance […] That’s when you realise that… Anyone can be tricked. I no longer claim to be… but I don’t know, I thought I would never get scammed. But basically, I had this thing going on with the CAF for months, and I knew they were supposed to reimburse me around €500. It’d been months since I’d spoken to them when I got a text saying that the CAF was reimbursing me just over €500. In the joy of the moment, I didn’t question it at all. I clicked the link, landed on a fake but convincing website, and put my bank account details straight in […]. And then suddenly I realised… I thought, “What have you done?” But I was so happy and in the heat of… In the end, I fell for it right away. I didn’t think for a second that it was a scam. And my bank never reimbursed me because I validated the payment myself”.  

In an environment where virtual relationships with institutions and electronic procedures are standard, handing over your bank details may seem normal. Moreover, fraud has become more convincing. Scammers often use personal information collected through phishing (gathered on social networks) to personalise emails, calls and messages and make them much more credible. That gives them a better chance of scamming young people, who have less experience interacting with official institutions. So, falling victim doesn’t seem to be down to just digital skills — life experience can also be a factor. 

Overconfidence in their skills

During their interviews, the young people expressed a kind of resignation to the growing threat and a reluctance to limit their digital lives. So, they adopt avoidance strategies—often automatically or unconsciously—such as only using virtual bank cards, keeping the balance in their current accounts low, regularly checking their banking apps, and not clicking on suspicious emails.

Unfortunately, these precautions are often insufficient. Avoiding fraud requires heightened vigilance, but their digital security knowledge is sometimes limited and based either on what their loved ones have told them or on preconceptions. For example, one interviewee, who pays for the majority of his purchases with his mobile, explains how he prefers to use his card for large amounts “Because I prefer it. Entering my code and everything feels more secure” (Simon, 18).

Habits are shifting, bringing greater exposure but also learning opportunities

To understand their relatively high vulnerability, it is vital to examine their online habits. The probability of falling victim to fraud seems to be more closely related to online habits, particularly around financial transactions, than to age.

According to INSEE (Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques — French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), 75% of young people say that their online security fears don’t stop them from ordering or buying products online. This figure drops to 67% for the population as a whole, and further still to 63% for 50- to 64-year-olds. [6]

Young people are just as likely to fall victim to fraud as older people with the same habits and socio-demographic profiles. Although young people are considered technophiles, they also find themselves between childhood—with financial dependence on their parents—and adulthood. They’re experiencing significant changes in their resources and expenditure. Their habits are not yet set, and they tend to try various devices, which can expose them to various risks. Young people use the Internet more to buy and sell things, send money, search for jobs, play games and carry out admin tasks. That may explain their overrepresentation among victims of fraud. In this sense, young people find themselves on the front line. They explore and improvise, they test out apps recommended by friends, family and influencers, and sometimes they make mistakes. Their digital behaviours evolve as they experience risk, which underscores the need for continuous cybersecurity education.

The need to enhance the young people’s education

So, numerous factors contribute to the overrepresentation of young people among victims of online fraud. It is partly explained by the greater variety and frequency of their use of digital technology involving payment methods, as well as by their confidence in their expertise, which they often overestimate. This is not conducive protective self-censorship, setting young adults apart from other population groups.

As such, it is important to enhance and update cybersecurity education for all, but especially young people. Although their familiarity with digital tools is an asset, they need continuous training around the risks involved and protective measures.