Latest news with #TakeFivetoStopFraud
South Wales Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Rachel de Thame urges people to take same care with finances as with gardens
Take Five to Stop Fraud has partnered with BBC Gardeners' World's Rachel de Thame and the National Allotment Society to launch a new awareness drive called 'protect your patch'. Ms de Thame said: 'We can't bury our head in the soil when it comes to being educated and informed about the latest tricks that fraudsters will try and use to commit crimes against us. 'I'd like to encourage everyone to apply the same level of care and attention to protecting their finances and savings, as they would to nurturing their allotments. 'Fraudsters are an invasive species, which have no place infiltrating our finances. 'So let's stay informed about what we need to do to keep them out of our carefully nurtured and highly prized patches.' Research commissioned by Take Five among 1,000 people across the UK aged 65-plus found that 94% have either a garden or allotment. Three in 10 (29%) older people would go to family and friends for gardening tips but only one in 10 (10%) would ask them for tips on financial fraud, according to the survey carried out by Censuswide in July. Those behind the campaign said the same instincts – asking questions and talking the situation through with people you trust – can make a real difference when spotting and stopping fraud. When asked what gives them the biggest sense of pride in life generally, joy in raising a family and experiencing the joy of grandchildren topped the charts at 48%, with remaining physically healthy coming in second (31%). A quarter (25%) of older people also expressed pride in the strong and long-lasting friendships they had formed. When asked about what they feel most proud of financially, more than half (57%) said financial independence gives them a strong sense of pride. Catriona Still, a spokeswoman for Take Five to Stop Fraud, said: 'Like weeds in a garden, fraud can take root unexpectedly and catch you off guard. 'We're seeing people turn to friends, family and their community for gardening advice and by leaning on those trusted voices, it can also help you stay safe from fraud by talking to someone about requests out of the blue. 'By getting a second opinion from someone you know and taking a moment to stop and challenge anything that doesn't feel right, you can protect your patch and keep your money safe. 'Criminals are getting more sophisticated and the impact of fraud can often be devastating, both emotionally and financially, so it's important to follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign.' Mike Farrell, chairman of the National Allotment Society, said: 'I'm delighted that the National Allotment Society has teamed up with Take Five to Stop Fraud for this year's National Allotments Week. 'Allotments play a vital role in supporting people's mental, physical, and nutritional wellbeing and protecting financial wellbeing is an important part of that. 'By helping our members and the wider growing community stay informed and alert to the risks of fraud, we're not only safeguarding individuals but also strengthening the sense of trust and resilience within our allotment sites.' Coinciding with National Allotments Week (August 11 to 17), Take Five is reminding people to: – Stop – take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information. It could keep you safe. – Challenge – It is OK to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. – Protect – Contact your bank immediately if you think you have been scammed and report it to Action Fraud.
Leader Live
4 days ago
- Business
- Leader Live
Rachel de Thame urges people to take same care with finances as with gardens
Take Five to Stop Fraud has partnered with BBC Gardeners' World's Rachel de Thame and the National Allotment Society to launch a new awareness drive called 'protect your patch'. Ms de Thame said: 'We can't bury our head in the soil when it comes to being educated and informed about the latest tricks that fraudsters will try and use to commit crimes against us. 'I'd like to encourage everyone to apply the same level of care and attention to protecting their finances and savings, as they would to nurturing their allotments. 'Fraudsters are an invasive species, which have no place infiltrating our finances. 'So let's stay informed about what we need to do to keep them out of our carefully nurtured and highly prized patches.' Research commissioned by Take Five among 1,000 people across the UK aged 65-plus found that 94% have either a garden or allotment. Three in 10 (29%) older people would go to family and friends for gardening tips but only one in 10 (10%) would ask them for tips on financial fraud, according to the survey carried out by Censuswide in July. Those behind the campaign said the same instincts – asking questions and talking the situation through with people you trust – can make a real difference when spotting and stopping fraud. When asked what gives them the biggest sense of pride in life generally, joy in raising a family and experiencing the joy of grandchildren topped the charts at 48%, with remaining physically healthy coming in second (31%). A quarter (25%) of older people also expressed pride in the strong and long-lasting friendships they had formed. When asked about what they feel most proud of financially, more than half (57%) said financial independence gives them a strong sense of pride. Catriona Still, a spokeswoman for Take Five to Stop Fraud, said: 'Like weeds in a garden, fraud can take root unexpectedly and catch you off guard. 'We're seeing people turn to friends, family and their community for gardening advice and by leaning on those trusted voices, it can also help you stay safe from fraud by talking to someone about requests out of the blue. 'By getting a second opinion from someone you know and taking a moment to stop and challenge anything that doesn't feel right, you can protect your patch and keep your money safe. 'Criminals are getting more sophisticated and the impact of fraud can often be devastating, both emotionally and financially, so it's important to follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign.' Mike Farrell, chairman of the National Allotment Society, said: 'I'm delighted that the National Allotment Society has teamed up with Take Five to Stop Fraud for this year's National Allotments Week. 'Allotments play a vital role in supporting people's mental, physical, and nutritional wellbeing and protecting financial wellbeing is an important part of that. 'By helping our members and the wider growing community stay informed and alert to the risks of fraud, we're not only safeguarding individuals but also strengthening the sense of trust and resilience within our allotment sites.' Coinciding with National Allotments Week (August 11 to 17), Take Five is reminding people to: – Stop – take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information. It could keep you safe. – Challenge – It is OK to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. – Protect – Contact your bank immediately if you think you have been scammed and report it to Action Fraud.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Rachel de Thame urges people to take same care with finances as with gardens
Green-fingered grandparents are being urged to apply the same habits they rely on when gardening, such as sharing local knowledge and advice, to helping to protect themselves against financial fraud. Take Five to Stop Fraud has partnered with BBC Gardeners' World's Rachel de Thame and the National Allotment Society to launch a new awareness drive called 'protect your patch'. Ms de Thame said: 'We can't bury our head in the soil when it comes to being educated and informed about the latest tricks that fraudsters will try and use to commit crimes against us. 'I'd like to encourage everyone to apply the same level of care and attention to protecting their finances and savings, as they would to nurturing their allotments. 'Fraudsters are an invasive species, which have no place infiltrating our finances. 'So let's stay informed about what we need to do to keep them out of our carefully nurtured and highly prized patches.' Research commissioned by Take Five among 1,000 people across the UK aged 65-plus found that 94% have either a garden or allotment. Three in 10 (29%) older people would go to family and friends for gardening tips but only one in 10 (10%) would ask them for tips on financial fraud, according to the survey carried out by Censuswide in July. Those behind the campaign said the same instincts – asking questions and talking the situation through with people you trust – can make a real difference when spotting and stopping fraud. When asked what gives them the biggest sense of pride in life generally, joy in raising a family and experiencing the joy of grandchildren topped the charts at 48%, with remaining physically healthy coming in second (31%). A quarter (25%) of older people also expressed pride in the strong and long-lasting friendships they had formed. When asked about what they feel most proud of financially, more than half (57%) said financial independence gives them a strong sense of pride. Catriona Still, a spokeswoman for Take Five to Stop Fraud, said: 'Like weeds in a garden, fraud can take root unexpectedly and catch you off guard. 'We're seeing people turn to friends, family and their community for gardening advice and by leaning on those trusted voices, it can also help you stay safe from fraud by talking to someone about requests out of the blue. 'By getting a second opinion from someone you know and taking a moment to stop and challenge anything that doesn't feel right, you can protect your patch and keep your money safe. 'Criminals are getting more sophisticated and the impact of fraud can often be devastating, both emotionally and financially, so it's important to follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign.' Mike Farrell, chairman of the National Allotment Society, said: 'I'm delighted that the National Allotment Society has teamed up with Take Five to Stop Fraud for this year's National Allotments Week. 'Allotments play a vital role in supporting people's mental, physical, and nutritional wellbeing and protecting financial wellbeing is an important part of that. 'By helping our members and the wider growing community stay informed and alert to the risks of fraud, we're not only safeguarding individuals but also strengthening the sense of trust and resilience within our allotment sites.' Coinciding with National Allotments Week (August 11 to 17), Take Five is reminding people to: – Stop – take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information. It could keep you safe. – Challenge – It is OK to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. – Protect – Contact your bank immediately if you think you have been scammed and report it to Action Fraud.
The Irish Sun
15-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Easy 30-second trick could stop you being conned out of £1,000s – but you'll need to call your family today
A DEVASTATING scam that can cost you thousands of pounds in seconds can easily be blocked – it just takes 30 seconds. The only catch is that you'll want to get ready for it in advance. Advertisement 3 The cruel scam can look something like this when delivered over text Credit: Facebook One of the most common text-based scams out there right now is called It's also known as A crook will pose as your child and convince you to send cash in an emergency – but it's a total con. Thankfully, there's a very easy way to scupper it and keep your cash safe. Advertisement Read more on scams WHAT IS THE SCAM? City of London Police 's Action Fraud issued a major warning about the scam back in 2022, revealing that it had already cost users £1.5 million. "Criminals will typically claim to be a family member and will usually begin the conversation with 'Hello Mum' or 'Hello Dad'," Action Fraud explained. "They will say that they are texting from a new mobile number as their phone was lost or damaged and will go on to ask for money to purchase a new phone, or claim that they need money urgently to pay a bill. "The criminal will supply their bank details for payment, with some coming back on multiple occasions until the victim realises they've been scammed." Advertisement Most read in Tech Since then, the scam has only grown in popularity. In 2023, McAfee issued an alert warning of a "new threat" were crooks were using AI to carry out more convincing versions of the scam. Deepfakes more 'sophisticated' and dangerous than ever as AI expert warns of six upgrades that let them trick your eyes This even involved using AI voice-cloning tech to make the con work over phone calls. "With inexpensive and easy-to-use AI voice-cloning tools, fraudsters are delivering bespoke messages through calls or voicemails and fraudulently asking for help in the form of financial assistance," McAfee warned. Advertisement "In the past, those wishing to create these assets needed to have both the time and technical ability to replicate voices. "But applications and tools that produce near instantaneous, highly believable results are now just a few clicks away." 3 Crooks can deliver the con over almost any social media or chat app Credit: Getty The scam can turn up on chat apps like WhatsApp or iMessage, via email, or even over the phone using an AI-cloned voice. Advertisement And it can be highly convincing: Brits have already lost millions to the con, with thousands sometimes being taken in a single attack. 'If you receive a message like this from a friend or family member, don't send any money until you've had a chance to call them and confirm their identity," said Detective Chief Inspector Craig Mullish. "Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe." ACTION FRAUD – THE OFFICIAL ADVICE Action Fraud advises that the public follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign to keep themselves safe from fraud. Stop: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe. Challenge: Could it be fake? It's okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. Protect: If you think you've been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at How to report You can report suspicious text messages you have received but not acted upon, by forwarding the original message to 7726, which spells SPAM on your keypad. You can report suspicious emails you have received but not acted upon, by forwarding the original message to If you have provided personal or financial details as a result of a suspicious message, or lost money because of a scam, you should report it to Action Fraud at HOW TO STAY SAFE – THE QUICK TRICK Of course, if a crook is using voice cloning or has taken over the family member's phone, checking with them through another method might not work. Advertisement So that's where the clever trick comes in. You'll want to call your son or daughter (or mum or dad) today and set up a safe word or phrase. It can be anything really – like a fruit, a place, or a date – but not something obvious like your birthday or hometown. 3 You might think you're talking to a family member – but it's actually a brazen crook Credit: Getty Advertisement Then whenever one of you ask's the other for money, you'll demand the safe word to verify the identity. Scammers will have no one of knowing this, as long as you haven't written it down somewhere on your devices. And it's an instant way to prevent the scam from going any further. It only takes half a minute to set up, and could save you from being conned out of thousands of pounds. Advertisement So give your family members a call today and make sure you have safe words set up.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Spouses and mothers ‘safest pairs of hands to protect finances'
About two in five (43%) people say they trust their spouse or partner the most to be a 'safe pair of hands' when protecting their finances, while a quarter say their mother is safest and 23% put most trust in their father, a survey has found. The research, released by the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign, found that among those who take steps to protect themselves from fraud, about half (51%) regularly monitor their bank accounts. Only one in 11 (9%) speak to those they trust to sense-check requests, just 27% challenge requests and only 39% take time to stop and think. Take Five said more than £3 million was lost each day on average to financial fraud in the first half of last year. It said fighting fraud is like a 'team sport' and everyone can learn to spot the warning signs of scams and block them before they cause harm. Catriona Still, spokesperson for Take Five to Stop Fraud, said: 'Fraudsters are constantly evolving their tactics, just like tough opponents on the pitch. 'They'll often try to rush or pressure you, targeting your money or personal information. 'That's why Take Five is uniting football tactics with fraud prevention – to help people slow down the game, challenge their opponents and be their own safe pair of hands to stop scammers in their tracks.' Take Five to Stop Fraud is run by banking and finance industry body UK Finance. The research was published as Take Five Week (May 12 to 18) gets under way. Take Five is urging people to follow its 'stop, challenge, protect' advice: 1. Stop. Take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information. It could keep you safe. 2. Challenge. Could it be fake? It is OK to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. 3. Protect. Contact your bank immediately if you think you have been scammed. Scams can be reported to Action Fraud. Take Five has also launched an interactive online game and encourages people to test their defences to see if they are 'match ready' to fight fraud at Its survey research among 2,000 people across the UK was carried out by Censuswide in April. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
