Consumers urged to 'Wise up' to fraudsters

City of London Police officers have teamed up with a pair of suspicious-looking characters in an innovative move to raise awareness of fraud. The dodgy duo, Jim and Bert, are the faces of a new campaign to educate people about the manipulative tricks fraudsters use to steal money from unsuspecting victims. 

Fraud is a growing trend and the campaign, called 'Wise Up!' uses professional actors to bring 'Jim' and 'Bert' to life. The pair, using a mix of street theatre and comedy to get across a serious message, has already proved popular with the public.

Det Supt Bob Wishart, from City of London Police Economic Crime Directorate said:

"The light-hearted approach of the 'Jim' and 'Bert' characters has been proving a real hit with the crowds. People are being entertained but they are also taking home serious fraud prevention advice that could save them or one of their relatives from becoming a future victim of fraud.

"As the National Lead Force for fraud we see many devastating cases where people who aren't wise to the manipulative tricks criminals use, have been defrauded. They have had their lives destroyed, often losing life savings, homes and even livelihoods. This campaign highlights these 'tricks of the trade' in the hope that people will 'Wise Up' to the real life 'Jim's' and 'Bert's' of this world, whose sole aim is to profit from crime no matter the cost to their victims."

It's estimated fraud costs the UK £30 billion annually with £3.5 billion lost to individual victims⁽¹⁾. The top five mass marketing frauds are:

1. Holiday club scams: £1.17 billion
2. High risk investment scams: £490 million
3. Pyramid schemes: £420 million
4. West African letter or advance fee '419' scams: £340 million
5. Foreign lottery scams: £260 million⁽¹⁾

Watch out for Jim and Bert - they will be touting for business on the City streets during the next week. Afterwards they will hand out 'bags' of fraud prevention advice.

Tips on safeguarding yourself against real life 'Jim's and 'Bert's' 

• Don't stay silent. If you have been targeted by a fraudster and lost money, contact Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.org.uk or on 0300 123 2040.
• Remember - if you haven't entered a competition, you won't have won a prize.
• Never send money to strangers.
• Never give out personal details or financial information to strangers.
• Never return a call to strangers or unfamiliar phone numbers.
• If someone is legitimate they won't pressure you and they won't mind you checking them out.
• Look out for bad spelling and grammar they are often a sign of a fraudulent organisation.
• Ask questions. If someone is elusive about answering, break off contact.
• Don't commit straight away - talk to someone you trust first.
• Remember websites can be faked too, and someone may claim to work for a well-known company. Always check the real company's details against the ones you have been given, and ring them direct if you are in doubt.

⁽¹⁾ Annual Fraud Indicator, National Fraud Authority 2010