Britons are falling victim to telephone scams because they are too polite to hang up, latest research reveals

Researchers found that one in five British adults believe that hanging up on someone is rude – even if the person on the other end of the line is obviously a scammer.

British politeness could be hindering the fight against scammers – as millions believe it is “rude” to hang up on them.

Researchers found Brits receive more than 150 million suspicious calls a week, with 60% reporting they have had more since March 2020.
But despite the inconvenience and danger, one in five adults believes hanging up on someone is rude – even if the caller is a scammer.

Another 20% feel “obliged” to stay on the line to hear them out.

The poll of 2,000 adults, commissioned by Santander, found nearly half (47%) receive three or more of these calls per week, with almost a quarter (23%) receiving at least five.

Analysis by Santander found there has been a 189 per cent increase in scam calls during the pandemic.  And 47 per cent of Britons are failing to hang up straight away, with one in five saying it would be impolite.

Criminals have taken advantage of the uncertainty of the pandemic.  Only 38 per cent of 18-24 year olds surveyed by Santander feel able to deal with a cold-caller.

According to the research, 89% of over 65s said that they were confident in spotting and dealing with suspicious calls. Conversely, only 38% of Gen Z (18-24-year-olds) felt the same and 54% said they have been scammed by a cold caller.
More than two-thirds (68%) of Gen Z also consider it rude to hang up on a scammer if they’re nice or polite.
But savvy seniors don’t fall for the act, with only 4% of those polled via OnePoll considering it impolite to hang up on cold callers.