Many Australians have lost their trust in messages from SMS, phones, and emails following the alarming increase in scams, according to a report by the Honeycomb Strategy and Atomic.io.
In the “State of Digital Trust” report, it was found that more than 5 million adult Australians have interacted with a scam message, while 10% of them admitted that they have lost money because of a scam.
Around 82% of Australians also stated that they received scam messages through email, SMS, or phone calls at least once a week, while 43% reported that they received such messages daily.
“The reality is organisations are letting down their customers when it comes to secure communications,” said Matty Sirois, chief marketing officer at Atomic.io.
“The findings of this unprecedented research from Honeycomb confirm that across Australia and New Zealand, phone, SMS and email-based scams are inundating customers on a daily basis. Australians are looking for more secure channels to communicate with the brands they rely on.”
In-app messages appeared to be the most trusted form of communication when interacting with businesses in contrast to the most commonly used emails, SMS, and phone calls, according to the report.
“Time and time again, our research has demonstrated that consumer trust is the cornerstone of digital communication, and the Atomic.io State of Digital Trust report indicates it's time to adapt,” said John Bevitt, managing director of Honeycomb Strategy.
About 40% of Australians said that they trusted the messages they receive from in-app messaging as it required users to sign in on their device before engaging with other fellow users.
“This research shows a decisive turn towards in-app messaging, with users seeking the security it offers over traditional channels that are more prone to scams. Nurturing this trust is critical, and in-app messaging is pivotal for businesses to connect with consumers on a secure, reliable platform,” said Bevitt.
“We are past the point of organisations asking if they should switch to authenticated channels, but rather how quickly and which high-risk or sensitive communications need to move first,” said Sirois.
The findings of the “State of Digital Trust” report were gathered from a survey of 1,000 Australians and New Zealanders over the age of 18. It was compiled by Honeycomb Strategy.
