New research from Intersperience shows that a significant number of UK shoppers would not use mobile payment systems over fears of phone hacking.

In a poll of 1,000 UK adults, only 17% indicated that they would like to use their phone as a wallet in future, with 44% citing “a lack of security software” as their chief concern.

According to Intersperience, the recent celebrity phone hacking scandals have called mobile security into question for many prospective mobile wallet users, with one respondent saying, “After the recent phone hacking scandals it’s clear that mobiles can be hacked. I’d be worried criminals would learn to do it.”

Another 24% said they wouldn’t use the technology simply out of intuition, indicating that mobile payments “feel less secure but I don’t know why.”

A further 24% believe their mobile is more likely to be stolen than their wallet.

Paul Hudson, CEO of Intersperience, comments: “There is no doubt that the phone hacking scandals have unnerved consumers. We also detected a marked rise in security concerns when people use devices with mobile internet access compared to fixed access via PCs. These beliefs will impact the pace at which UK consumers adopt mobile payment systems.”

Hudson added that these beliefs are largely erroneous, as there are far higher instances of security breaches over PCs than mobiles.

Unsurprisingly, the younger generation emerged as the most eager to use mobile wallets, with 33% saying they would like to use the technology in the future. Furthermore, 25% of teenage respondents said they would adopt mobile payments over traditional methods.

“Today’s adults may be adopting a cautious stance on mobile payments, but we expect the next generation to be more enthusiastic,” concluded Hudson. “Digital Natives will be in the vanguard of mobile commerce.”