Afternoon and midweek are common times to be scammed, survey finds

PEOPLE are most likely to be scammed in the afternoon, a new survey indicates.

A poll of more than 3,000 people across the UK who have fallen victim to fraud in the past two years found 43 per cent were scammed in the afternoon – making this the most likely time of day when people said they fell victim to scammers.

Midweek is also often a popular time for fraudsters to be successful, with Wednesday and Thursday being the most likely days when people said they were scammed.

A fifth (20 per cent) of people said they had a lot on their mind when they were scammed, while one in six (15 per cent) said they had been feeling tired, the Censuswide survey for Take Five to Stop Fraud found in March and April.

Take Five to Stop Fraud spokesperson Paul Maskall said: “When we’re at our busiest, we are more likely to miss the red flags that might otherwise warn us that something could be a scam. That’s why it’s important to follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign and stop, challenge and protect to stay safe from fraud.

“When we are worried or our mind is elsewhere, it can make us more susceptible to scams, or ‘scamsceptible’. Therefore, it’s important to take a moment to stop and think whether it could be fake before parting with your money or financial and personal information.”

Take Five has launched a scamsceptible tool, which can give tailored advice to users. Through five questions, it assesses some of the factors that can make people more susceptible to fraud and gives tips on what to do to stay safe.

It was developed with academic Dr David Modic and can be found at www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/ scamtest.

Take Five is operated by banking and finance industry body UK Finance and Take Five Week runs until Sunday.