Almost 45 million people have been on the receiving end of potential scam texts or calls in the last three months in the United Kingdom, a new Ofcom research reveals.

More than eight in 10 (82 percent) said they had received a suspicious message, in the form of either a text, recorded message or live phone call to a landline or mobile. This represents an estimated 44.6 million adults in the UK.

Scams are more commonly attempted via text messages with seven in 10 people (71 percent) saying they have received a suspicious text, and three quarters (75 percent) of those aged 16-34 years were targeted.

Ofcom said its research also shows that suspicious calls continue to be a threat for landline users, with older people particularly susceptible.

Three in five (61 percent) people aged 75 years and over reported receiving a potential scam call to their landline.

Almost half (49 percent) of those who received a suspicious live voice call, and more than four in ten (44 percent), who received a suspicious recorded message, blocked the number.

But, in the last three months alone, two percent reported following the scammers’ instructions in a message or call. This equates to almost a million people , who risk financial loss and emotional distress if a scam attempt is successful, Ofcom said in a statement released Wednesday.