To think we need a clear public safety campaign to help people protect themselves from fraud

[ChristmasGutPunch]

Like "stranger danger" for kids in the 80s. "Stop, Look and Listen". "Never trust a text or phone call asking you to access your bank account for any reason!" Needs something catchier.

Every now and then the papers run horror stories but don't we need something plain and simple that everyone knows and can recite?

Worries me a lot for family and friends. I'm a suspicious, antisocial cow who wouldn't feel in the slightest bit bad about telling a random to get stuffed but even I worry I might get tricked somehow. The scams are so weird that they are hard to predict and often rely on older, more vulnerable victims or putting normally non-vulnerable victims in a state of panic.

Just never trust anyone who tries to get you to do anything (anything) with your money!

There have been campaigns, such as the 'call 159' campaign (gets you through to your bank if you are being scammed).

The problem is getting people to see them and take notice. In the 70s/80s there were three or four TV channels and a limited number of daily newspapers, plus BBC and local radio - that was more or less it. If a campaign was run on those channels, most people would see it and it would register, even if they weren't interested.

Nowadays, there are thousands of TV channels and streaming services and digital radio stations. People get their news online, so they read only what they're interested in, often having to fight their way through numerous adverts and unwanted information. If (e.g.) 'Call 159' pops up, it will be dismissed alongside 'thousands of people are losing weight with this simple trick!' and other spam.

Many people rarely go into their bank branch - so there is no opportunity for them to be educated in person.

In short, campaigns get lost amid the welter of advertising and false informational rubbish we are bombarded with these days.

I think campaigns that rely on contacting a phone number probably make people more vulnerable. There needs to be a "never trust anyone" sort of rule. They could do billboards, public transport posters, etc. Agree TV a lost cause now - don't remember the last time I watched an advert.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-campaign-to-fight-fraud-launched

I think there absolutely needs to be a public awareness campaign.
Fraud is especially bad at the moment, especially social engineering (fraudsters pretending to be someone else). There needs to be a joint effort between the government, banks and payments companies (PayPal etc) to educate people and some kind of targeted outreach for elderly and vulnerable people. No idea how this would be done though!