The Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign is today tapping into the nation’s love for football to help everyone be a “safe pair of hands” and protect themselves from fraud.  

Figures show that on average over £3 million was lost each day to financial fraud in the first half of last year. Fighting fraud is a team sport, and like a vigilant goalkeeper – a safe pair of hands – who spots threats and makes confident saves. Take Five is reminding people that we can all learn to spot the warning signs of scams and block them before they cause harm. With simple, practical advice, Take Five is helping people stay on the ball. 

New research from Take Five shows that of those that take steps to protect themselves from fraud, more than half (51%) regularly monitor their bank accounts. However, defences are weak in other areas, as less than 1 in 10 (9%) speak to those they trust to sense check requests, and less than half challenge requests (27%) or take time to stop and think (39%). 

What makes a safe pair of hands on the pitch? 

The research explores what makes someone a safe pair of hands on the pitch, drawing clear parallels with fraud prevention. Over two fifths (45%) of football fans say anticipating threats is the most valuable skill in a player – just as spotting the signs of a scam is key to stopping fraud. Reliability and consistency were also rated highly (40%), traits that are just as important when it comes to protecting personal information and supporting others to stay safe.  

These qualities people associate with being a safe pair of hands are also the traits that help someone protect themselves and others from scams. They underpin the everyday decisions that can prevent fraud – whether it’s questioning a suspicious message or supporting someone unsure about a payment.  

A safe pair of hands in the fam  

Take Five’s research also reveals that when it comes to keeping their finances safe, Brits turn to those closest to them. Nearly half (43%) said they trust their spouse or partner the most to be a “safe pair of hands” when it comes to handling finances, followed by a quarter who said their Mum (25%) or Dad (23%) was the safest pair of hands.  

Staying on the ball: how to protect yourself from fraud 

Take Five is urging everyone to follow the Stop, Challenge, Protect advice to be your own safe pair of hands:  

• Stop: Take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information. It could keep you safe. 

• Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. 

• Protect: Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve been scammed and report it to Action Fraud.  

Catriona Still, spokesperson for Take Five to Stop Fraud, said: “Fraudsters are constantly evolving their tactics, just like tough opponents on the pitch. They’ll often try to rush or pressure you, targeting your money or personal information. That’s why Take Five is uniting football tactics with fraud prevention – to help people slow down the game, challenge their opponents and be their own safe pair of hands to stop scammers in their tracks.”   

Today’s Take Five research comes at the start of the annual Take Five Week (Monday 12th to Sunday 18th May 2025), a flagship event for the whole fraud prevention community which delivers a concerted push to hep everyone protect themselves from fraud and scams.  

As part of this, Take Five has also launched an interactive online game and encourages people to test their defences and see if they’re match ready to fight fraud. To try out the game yourself visit https://www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/matchready/ 

-ENDS- 

Notes to editors: 

• This survey was conducted on behalf of Take Five by Censuswide 22nd April – 24th April 2025, among a sample of 2,000 UK adults (Nat Rep 18 +). 

• Find out more about Take Five here: https://www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/  [UPDATE TO CAMPAIGN LANDING PAGE]. 

• Take Five to Stop Fraud is a national campaign that offers straightforward and impartial advice to help everyone protect themselves from preventable financial fraud.  

• Take Five is run by UK Finance. UK Finance is the collective voice for the banking and finance industry. Representing more than 300 firms across the industry, it acts to enhance competitiveness, support customers and facilitate innovation.