A Financial Conduct Authority survey of 666 UK adults aged 18 to 40 found respondents recognized horror-film cues, while separate investment prompts drew mixed reactions to urgency and novelty.
For the investment prompt, 37% said a “last chance to buy” offer would pressure them to act quickly, compared with 36% who said it would make them more cautious. In a different question, 65% recognized “this is your only chance” as a warning used in horror films.
Views of other investment cues also varied. Five percent said a rising price chart would make them suspicious. Asked about a product described as “groundbreaking new,” 12% said they would question it, while 10% said its novelty would make them more likely to invest. In separate film questions, 59% identified countdowns as a device for prompting rash choices, and 47% recognized the returning-threat trope in horror sequels.
Social cues figured in the results as well. Twenty-nine percent said enthusiasm among friends or in group chats could reassure them about an investment or earn their trust instead of prompting their own research. By comparison, 80% recognized “trust me, it's fine, everyone's doing it” as a warning in a horror scenario.
Attest conducted the survey for the FCA on Oct. 9, 2026. Participants either owned investments or said they might buy them within the next 12 months.
“Hype, urgency and fear of missing out can all influence how people invest,” said Lucy Castledine, the FCA’s director of consumer investments. She advised consumers to investigate an offer and decide whether it fits their circumstances before investing.
The FCA’s InvestSmart campaign promotes the Hype Type Revealer, a tool intended to help people understand what may influence their decisions and avoid investment hype. The regulator said initial testing with more than 600 retail investors found that a training intervention reduced high-risk investment decisions, with the effect still evident seven days later. The FCA’s announcement did not specify the test design or how it measured high-risk decisions.
