If only I had thought that insurance deal I got from social media, in a pub, or from classified ads was too good to be true. If only I had phoned the bank back on the customer service number and verified whether the caller was genuine or a spoof – a false phone call supposedly from a bank with the number disguised.
And if only you had Skyped her, and checked her identity, you would not have become a victim of romance fraud, and thrown away thousands of pounds on someone faking an identity.
The Midlands Fraud Forum (MFF) has joined with the Insolvency Service to launch 13 fraud prevention videos. These videos are written and produced by the MFF, and for viewing on Youtube, and no public funding was used.
The films portray the stories of actual victims of crime, told by actors. They range from advice from a retail manager on how to avoid crimes such as card not present fraud and deliveries to waste ground or waiting vans, or by dishonest colleagues; cyber enabled fraud and romance fraud to elderly victims who have been preyed on. Common crimes covered are identity fraud; Ponzi and boiler room fraud of investors; email account hacking; courier fraud (such as a fake police officer ringing to collect credit or debit cards); business cheque fraud; and fake, ‘ghost broker’ insurance.
MFF says that research has shown a victim of romance fraud loses on average £10,000, so if only one romance fraud can be avoided, the costs of making the videos will be worth it.
Each of the films give an “if only” message that the victim has learned, the hard way. It may be “if only I had checked” or “if only I hadn’t been so greedy”.
Victims portrayed in the films range from an 88-year-old ripped off by the carer she trusted (who then emptied her bank account) to three students who describe how they were scammed via the internet and social media.
Visit http://www.midlandsfraudforum.co.uk/.
