BBC Be Scam Safe week: we’re supporting the BBC’s anti-fraud campaign

Fraud is an ongoing threat to every business. But with the right information, knowledge and awareness, you can spot and stop these scams.

That’s why the BBC are launching their first of its kind ‘Be Scam Safe’ campaign. It will run from 23 to 27 October and feature anti-fraud programming across TV, radio and online.

It’s a joint effort between BBC programmes, our anti-fraud partners Stop Scams UK, and major UK organisations, including us at Tide. 

It aims to empower everybody with the tools to help identify scams and avoid the financial and emotional damage caused by this kind of fraud.

As a member of Stop Scams UK, we’re pleased to announce our part in this initiative. Stop Scams UK is a unique collaboration between responsible businesses from across financial services, telecoms and technology who have come together to stop scams at source.

BBC Be Scam Safe Advice

The BBC has provided key advice for everyone to help them avoid being defrauded:

1)  Don’t respond to any unexpected call, email, or text, without checking first. If it’s out of the blue, check it’s for you

• If it’s a call, hang up, find a number you can trust, and call back on that

• If it’s your bank, you can call back using the number on the back of your card

• Or, if concerned, dial 159 to be connected securely to most UK banks

2)  Stop and get a second opinion if you’re being forced to make a decision, or if you feel rushed

• No legitimate organisation will object to you asking a friend, family member, or colleague for an opinion. Nor will it object to you saying no, or delaying your decision

3)  Report every scam

• Even if it didn’t work on you, reporting helps other people

• Forward suspicious texts to 7726, and emails to report@phishing.gov.uk

• Report fraud directly to companies involved, so they can alert other customers

For more information go to www.bbc.co.uk/bescamsafe

Tune in to a full week of programming

From 23 October, the BBC will run a brand new series of Scam Interceptors to coincide with this campaign. There’s a whole host of anti-fraud programs planned too, including reports on Radio 4’s Moneybox and File On Four, as well as special reports on The One Show and Watchdog.

BBC Morning Live will also be featuring Be Scam Safe content every day that week, focusing on a range of topics from number spoofing to rental scamming. Plus, they’ll be running their “Stick It To The Scammers” campaign, where you can get free stickers to attach onto, or near, your phone to remind you that any call could be a potential scam.

What to remember for Tide members

We’ve put in place security measures to help protect you and all of our members from fraud. If someone contacts you claiming to be from Tide, remember these key points:

• Tide will NEVER ask you to move your money. If your account is ever under threat, we can secure it for you immediately

• If we need to call you, we’ll send a message to your Tide app to verify our identity while speaking to you. Just tap ‘Support’ > ‘Messages’ in your app to view it

• Never scan QR codes, download any software, or overshare details of your account or account activity

If you have any concerns, just hang up and call 159. We are here for you 24/7.

You can find out more about how to stay safe from fraud in our dedicated support page.