The UK Government has launched an advertising campaign, Stop! Think Fraud. The adverts will also be on television and displayed in public settings, from billboards to radio, and on social media, according to the Home Office.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “Our bold Fraud Strategy is continuing to deliver for the British people. This new campaign is a powerful tool to add to our arsenal, which already includes a world-first agreement from tech firms to prevent online fraud and the rollout of a National Fraud Squad that has 400 expert investigators. I encourage everyone to stop, take a moment to think about fraud, and share this messaging far and wide.”
The authorities have acknowledged a need for a single and clear set of advice to remove confusion, whereas many campaigns were running in the same space. Temporary Commissioner Pete O’Doherty, from the City of London Police, said: “As the national lead force for fraud we wholeheartedly support Stop! Think Fraud and hope it will raise a much greater understanding of what fraud is and how to avoid it.
“Fraud accounts for around 40 per cent of all crime in the UK, so it’s vitally important to reach all corners of the country with this campaign to help protect everyone from the devastating financial and emotional impacts of fraud. Alongside this campaign, we will continue to deliver on the National Fraud Strategy set by government and launch the replacement service for Action Fraud later this year.”
Next month the Home Secretary is due to host interior ministers from other countries, the international police body Interpol, the EU Commission and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, business people and others to London for a first Global Fraud Summit.
Visit https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk/.
Romance fraud
Meanwhile romance fraudsters (also known as catfish) typically hide behind fake profiles on dating sites, social media and other online forums to establish contact then spend weeks or even months grooming their victims before asking for ‘help’ or suggesting investment ‘opportunities’ to line their own pockets, says the consumer campaign and advice body Which? (more on this link). Last year Which? featured how romance scammers are targeting vulnerable people on charity Facebook pages for people discussing mental health, bereavement and ageing.
Numbers to call
Note that Stop Scams UK (SSUK) was set up by UK high street banks, telecoms companies including BT, TalkTalk and Three and technology companies such as Microsoft, Meta and Google to stop scams at source. If you think you’re being scammed by a phone caller, 159 is the short number which connects you to your bank.
And 7726 is a number used by most of the major mobile phone companies to allow their customers to report unwanted texts or mobile calls. For tips about scam awareness visit the Ofcom website. Fraud, according to Ofcom, is not just about financial loss; more than a third said that the experience had a negative impact on their mental health. Under new online safety rules, online services will be required to assess the risk of their users being harmed by illegal content on their platforms. In response, Which? commented that the onus shouldn’t fall on consumers to protect themselves, but it is important they are made aware of how they can spot scams.
