Feted British actor Simon Callow – star of Notting Hill, Shakespeare in Love and Four Weddings and a Funeral, takes centre stage in a new campaign from NatWest to warn the public about the dangers of fraud this Halloween.
The release of ‘The Scammer House of Horrors’, a free downloadable book, follows new research of 2,000 UK adults which reveals that three quarters (73%) of Brits have been targeted by scammers, with an average of £350.50 stolen per victim.
The BAFTA-nominated actor narrates three tales rooted in real-life case studies of frightful frauds and scary scams, after it was revealed that 85% of Brits are worried about falling victim to a scam and half (53%) believe they could do more to protect themselves from the dangers.
Based on three of the top ten most prevalent scams people say they have been targeted by – romance (25%), invoice redirection fraud (18%) and cryptocurrency (21%); each story outlines the scary fate of an unsuspecting member of the public.
Top 10 types of scams Brits say they have been targeted by
1. Phishing (57%)
2. Smishing (40%)
3. Identity fraud (27%)
4. Postal scam (25%)
5. Romance scam (25%)
6. Unauthorised use of a banking card (24%)
7. Investment and cryptocurrency scam (21%)
8. Approached at home regarding building and renovation work that wasn’t asked for (20%)
9. Invoice redirection fraud (18%)
10. Money muling (13%)
Twisted Fate details how fake cryptocurrency investment offerings can swindle individuals out of their earnings through false promises
Romance is Dead is a deceptively alluring romance scam which highlights the modern risks of online dating.
The Final Demand brings to life the horrors of an invoice redirection scam, showing how a small business owner is targeted by a fake “supplier” claiming their details have changed and that they require a new invoice.
The NatWest research has shown that education is key, with three quarters (78%) of participants stating they don’t know what money muling is and 71% saying they couldn’t identify the signs of invoice redirection fraud and other modern scams such as fake cryptocurrency investments.
What’s more, over a quarter (28%) aren’t doing as much as they could to protect themselves against fraudsters, using the same password for all devices and personal accounts.
