COVID-19
It’s important that you remain vigilant and guard against criminals using the publicity around Coronavirus as a chance to target you with fraudulent emails, phone calls, texts messages or social media posts.
COVID-19
Criminals are using the Coronavirus as a cover story to trick you into parting with your business’s money or information. Always take a moment to Stop, Challenge, Protect before making any payments.
What is Take Five
Take Five is a national campaign offering straight-forward, impartial advice that helps prevent email, phone-based and online fraud – particularly where criminals impersonate trusted organisations.
What is Take Five
Take Five is a national campaign offering straight-forward, impartial advice that helps prevent email, phone-based and online fraud – particularly where criminals impersonate trusted organisations.
What is Take Five
Take Five is a national campaign offering straight-forward, impartial advice that helps prevent email, phone-based and online fraud – particularly where criminals impersonate trusted organisations.
What is Take Five
Take Five is a national campaign offering straight-forward, impartial advice that helps prevent email, phone-based and online fraud – particularly where criminals impersonate trusted organisations.
Scam Alert!
Criminals often use the promise of earning quick and easy cash, advertised via social media platforms, phishing emails and, job sites, to recruit people into becoming money mules.
Be vigilant of “employers” asking you to receive and distribute funds through your bank account, as using your account in this way is illegal.
IF A JOB ADVERT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, DON’T BE FOOLED
Social media platforms, phishing emails and, job sites are increasingly being used by criminals to trick young people into becoming money mules, as highlighted by the Don’t Be Fooled Money Mules campaign.
Criminals pose as legitimate employers, posting fake job adverts for “money transfer agents” or “local processors” to recruit people to launder the profits of their crimes. They often use the promise of earning quick and easy cash to convince individuals to provide their bank details, before asking them to transfer the funds received to another account, making them a money mule.
A money mule is someone who, often unwittingly, enables money laundering by allowing a third party to transfer money through their bank account. In many cases, individuals are often unaware that they’re engaging in criminal activity, and that allowing their accounts to be used in this way is illegal. The consequences of facilitating these crimes could result in the closure of your bank account and difficulty obtaining a mobile phone contract.
Stay safe by following the advice of the Don’t Be Fooled campaign:
- Research any potential employer by conducing your own background checks. If you’ve been contacted by a role directly, make sure you know what it entails.
- Don’t allow anyone you don’t know and trust to access your bank account.
- Don’t respond to adverts offering large sums of money, for minimal input
Remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
You can find more information and advice on how to protect yourself here.
Are you scam-savvy?
Criminals are turning to more sophisticated ways to take your money, whether through online offers, emails or telephone calls. Can you outsmart them? Put your ability to spot a scam to the test with our quick quiz.
Watch out for scams like this
Beware if you receive a phone call purporting to be from your bank warning of irregular activity on your account – can you be sure it’s genuine? Our video tells you what to watch out for.
Take Five toolkit
We want organisations, businesses and individuals to be able to spread the message and get involved in the campaign so we can all help protect the nation against financial fraud. Please support Take Five and make use of the full suite of campaign materials we have on offer.
