Protect Your Business

The impact of fraud and scams on businesses can be detrimental. Criminals may use social engineering tactics and impersonate suppliers or senior members of staff, contacting an employee by telephone, email, text message or social media.

Take Five to Stop Fraud aims to help you to protect your business by confidently challenging requests for money or information. Businesses of all sizes are at risk of fraud and some may have limited resources and training to help identify and avoid fraud and scams.

Top tips to protect your business

  • Whether it’s raising, processing or approving a payment, ensure staff members at every stage of the payment process check invoices and payment details closely.
  • Be wary of unexpected requests for urgent payments – double check the sender’s email address and verify the request directly with the colleague or supplier.
  • Always question changes in payment information and confirm details directly with suppliers using the contact information you have on file. Companies rarely change their bank details.
  • Ensure you have robust payment processes and cyber security in place to protect your business, and educate employees on these.
  • Be careful with the type of information you share online about your business – criminals use can any information they find to make their scams seem more convincing.

‘Can You Spot Fraud?’ tool

Take Five to Stop Fraud has collaborated with Amazon to create the ‘Can You Spot Fraud?’ tool which provides businesses with the confidence, knowledge, and ability to protect themselves against fraud and scams.

The tool shows users how to confidently challenge situations where criminals may be targeting their business. Recreating a busy office environment, the training takes users through a series of potentially fraudulent situations. It aims to give people the knowledge and ability to spot real-world scam calls, texts, emails and social media posts.

Let’s go

Take Five to Stop Fraud
Criminals are experts at impersonating people, organisations and the police. They spend hours researching you for their scams, hoping you’ll let your guard down for just a moment. Stop and think. It could protect you and your money.
STOP
Take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information. It could keep you safe.
CHALLENGE
Ask yourself, 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 at actionfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040.