How Can You Help?

Friends Against Scams

Becoming a Friend will equip you with more understanding about the different types of scams and how to report them. If you would like to become a Friend Against Scams, the session can be taken in a number of ways: an eight minute video, a British Sign Language interpreted video, an interactive online session, or request an in-person session for groups. Choose the best option for you here.

After the session, why not share the information with others? This could be by talking to your neighbours, friends or family about scams or writing to your local MP asking them to promote scams awareness. You can also help to promote Friends Against Scams on your social media platforms.

SCAMchampions

SCAMchampions are Friends Against Scams who want to do more - by registering, they gain access to the resources area of the website. They can host awareness sessions to recruit Friends and drive Friends Against Scams forward in their communities or workplace. SCAMchampions attend an additional session (either face-to-face or online) to give them a fuller understanding of the laws surrounding scams and some presentation tips.

To register your interest as a SCAMchampion, please click here.

Businesses Against Scams

Businesses Against Scams was set up in April 2020 in light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Businesses had to move quickly to set up home working for their employees. This increased level of stress, worry and the fact that it became more difficult to communicate with colleagues made businesses more susceptible to business related scams. Businesses that sign up will have access to a number of resources - fact sheets, posters, postcards and a 10 minute awareness session that covers government relief/tax rebate scams, invoice/mandate fraud, tech support scams and CEO fraud.

To register your business, please click here.

Scam Marshals

A Scam Marshal is any resident in the UK who has been targeted by a scam and wants to fight back and take a stand against scams. Scam Marshals do this by using their own experience to talk to others about scams in their community or by sending any scam mail that they receive to National Trading Standards (NTS) Scams Team so that it can be utilised as evidence in future investigative and enforcement work. This work by Scam Marshals plays a huge role in helping to stop the scam mail altogether.

For more information on Scams Marshals, please click here.

Friends Against Scams Organisations

If a business, organisation or charity would like to be involved, they can become a Friends Against Scams organisation by pledging to actively promote the initiative. The easiest way to do this is to make all employees Friends. Organisations may also wish to encourage their customers to become Friends as well.

To register your interest as a Friends Against Scams organisation, please click here.

SCAMbassadors

SCAMbassadors are MPs, senior officials or someone who will use their influence to raise the profile of scams at a national level. They can raise the issue of scams as a key topic of concern in parliament and encourage their local authority to sign up to Friends Against Scams. Please send a contact form through to the team if you would like to find out more about the SCAMbassador role by clicking here.

Practitioner E-Learning

This resource has been designed to assist professionals and practitioners who will be interacting with victims of scams, this includes but is not limited to; social workers, community nurses, volunteers and befrienders. The e-learning will give you an understanding of the scale of the problem of scams, an insight into the behaviour of the criminals behind scams, an understanding of the legislation that can be used to support scam victims and to prosecute criminals behind scams, and practical advice on how best to support a victim of scams. To start the practitioner e-learning (around 45 minutes), click here.