UK Finance’s Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign is warning those who speak English as a second language to pay attention over requests for their money and personal information.  
 
Research by the Take Five campaign reveals that almost three quarters (73%) of people who speak English as a second language have faced criminals trying to trick them into sharing their financial or personal information in 2024.  

Take Five’s core message is to “Stop, Challenge, and Protect” when asked for your money or information. The public are encouraged to pause before making decisions, challenge suspicious communications, and protect themselves and others by reporting any fraud to their bank. 

The research also found that while most people surveyed were aware of the risks of fraud, they were not all aware of where it most commonly occurs. 

Less than half (48 per cent) of those who speak English as a second language believe criminals would use messages or posts on social media to trick people into sending them money. 

However UK Finance figures show that nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of all authorised push payment fraud cases are enabled by online sources.  
 
Paul Maskall, from Take Five to Stop Fraud, said: “Fraud causes serious harm to society and  severe financial and psychological harm to victims. It’s important that everyone knows the steps to take to protect themselves from these awful crimes.

“This is why Take Five is reaching out to people who speak English as second language or know of a friend of family member who does. Always follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign to stop, challenge and protect to help keep yourself safe.” 

To help support those with English as a second language, Take Five has translated its ‘Stop, Challenge and Protect’ advice into Urdu and Punjabi. Urdu and Punjabi were selected as they are two of the most-widely spoken foreign languages in the UK. 

To protect yourself from scams, the campaign encourages people to follow the advice of the ‘Take Five to Stop Fraud’ campaign: 

•  Stop: Take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money and information. 
•  Challenge: Ask yourself – could it be fake? Ask someone you trust for a second opinion. It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. 
•  Protect: Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud. 
 
Find out more at: www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk