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 using Covid-19 smishing texts to target consumers
Smishing is when criminals use text messages impersonating other organisations to trick people into giving away their personal and financial information or money. These scam texts often claim to be from government departments, banks or other trusted organisations, offering payments related to the coronavirus outbreak or claiming to be issuing fines.
CORONAVIRUS
Often the messages will include a link to a fake website that is designed to trick people into giving away their financial and personal information such as bank details, passwords and credit card numbers.
Criminals are also using a technique called “spoofing”, which can make a message appear in a chain of texts alongside previous genuine messages from that organisation. The banking industry continues to work closely with mobile network operators, government and other industry stakeholders to crack down on this type of fraud.
Consumers should avoid clicking on any links contained within text messages, and to always log into their bank account to update their information or make any legitimate payments. Customers can report suspected spam text texts to their mobile network provider by forwarding them to 7726.
Consumers are reminded to follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign and remember that criminals are experts at impersonating people, organisations and the police.
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 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’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud.
Are you scam-savvy?
Fraudsters 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.
