National Trading Standards research estimates that more than 20 million UK adults have signed up to a subscription without realising it, and of these, 4.7 million are still paying for a subscription they didn’t ask for. This data reveals the widespread impact of so-called ‘silent scams’ that involve low value but high-volume thefts.
The research also reveals that UK consumers would need to have an average of £143 stolen before they would even consider reporting a scam – a threshold that lots of criminals are exploiting. Nearly one in five (18%) scam victims who didn’t report the crime said the amount stolen was too small to be worth reporting.
The silent scam epidemic indicates:
- 38% of people have signed up to a subscription without realising it of these, nearly a quarter (23%) are still unknowingly paying for these subscriptions
- 17% didn’t realise quickly money was leaving their account, and 8% took over three months to notice
But on the 2nd April the Government announced new laws that will make it easier to cancel subscriptions and get refunds for unwanted auto-renewals. This crackdown on “subscription traps” could save the average person nearly £170 a year, according to the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
The new laws, which are expected to come into force in spring 2027 will mean;
- people will be able to cancel subscriptions “with the click of a button” and will no longer have to make “endless phone calls” to cancel a subscription.
- There will be 14-day cooling off period after the end of a trial period, or when an annual subscription automatically renews.
- Companies will be forced to give clear information upfront to prevent consumers from being “silently rolled onto expensive contracts and firms will also have to give customers reminders when a free or discounted trial is about to end, or when contracts that are a year or longer are about to be renewed.
Whilst the profits from tactics like subscription traps may seem small individually, together they represent a large and growing threat to UK consumer confidence and people’s personal finances.
National Trading Standards has also launched a free app that will make it easier for people to protect themselves. The app includes scam alerts, practical prevention tips, clear advice on what to do if targeted and signposts to trusted sources of help. People will also have free access to scam-fighting training on their phone, helping people to protect themselves and their family. To download the app, visit https://www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/
