Meet Fraud Fighter our superhero to stop parental trickery by our little mischiefs! · Six tricks revealed that kids will use to dupe their Dads this Father’s Day · 35% of kids trick their Dads more than once a week · Over two thirds of men believe they’re too confident with their money to ever be a fraud victim · 40% men a year fall victim to financial fraud Dads are raising a modern generation of Dennis the Menaces with kids today frequently pulling tricks to get their own way, new research reveals. Like kids, financial fraud never takes a day off, so when the little rascals are playing tricks to get their own way, FFA UK is encouraging men across the UK to be on high alert this Father’s Day, as the best fraudsters are known to most likely to take advantage when we have our guard down. The new research, by Financial Fraud Action UK, the leading charity for combatting financial fraud, reveals that men believe they are the least likely to fall victim to financial fraud despite national statistics showing that over 40% fall victim to financial fraud each year. 66% of British men believe it will never happen to them as they are too confident in handling their money*. To emphasise how vulnerable men really are to being tricked, the charity commissioned bespoke research with One Poll to a sample of 1,000 children aged 6-12 years to show how easily Dads can be tricked by their children. The top five ways our mini masters manipulate their dads are: 1. Smiling sweetly (41%) 2. Offering a hug (40%) 3. Saying please and thank you (35%) 4. Trying to make Dad laugh (20%) 5. Saying they’ve done well at school (15%) Mini Masters of Manipulation The data also revealed some of the watch words which kids use when trying to get their own way are including “don’t worry Dad its fine, I always do it” and “all my friend to it all the time” “Mum said I could”, which came out as the favourite with 43% of kids saying that this is the phrase they use the most, and “Mum always lets me”, which 33% of kids said and shows that kids make an effort to play the adults off of each other to get what they want. Mums aren’t completely innocent in this trickery however, with 35% of kids saying that they team up with their Mum to trick their Dad. One of the main reasons for this team up is that both Mums and their kids want to be taken somewhere by Dad (53%) or because they want the TV changed from what Dad is watching (40%). Welsh Dad’s should be particularly suspicious of Mums, with 46% of Welsh kids saying they often team up to trick their Dad. In addition to teaming up with Mums, the top tricks children use are: 1. Pretending to be asleep (45%) 2. Pretending to brush their teeth when they haven’t (38%) – and 28% of those run the tooth brush under the tap in case Dad checks! 3. Pretending to have washed hands before dinner (31%) 4. Lying about completing homework before school (22%) 5. Hiding toys instead of clearing them away (21%) One particularly mischievous pollster surveyed has a dental technician as a father; John said, “my son broke into my lab, found a false tooth and pretended that his tooth had fallen out. He then took another false tooth in his bag and did the same trick to his teacher at school. We were horrified but couldn’t help but laugh. He gets me every time!” It’s not just children that are fleecing mum and dad out of their hard earned cash and that’s always something to bear in mind when looking at personal details Katy Worobec, Director of FFA UK, says, “As bank systems become increasingly advanced, fraudsters are turning to tricking people out of their personal details and money. Alongside tightened security at banks, people can also play an important role in acting against financial fraud by protecting themselves. This Father’s Day we are asking Dads to take five – to take that moment – to pause and think before they respond to any financial requests and share any personal or financial details.” FFA UK is asking consumers to help protect themselves from financial fraud by remembering some simple advice: · Never disclose security details, such as your PIN or full banking password · Don’t assume an email, text or phone call is authentic · Don’t be rushed – a genuine organisation won’t mind waiting · Listen to your instincts – you know if something doesn’t feel right · Stay in control – don’t panic and make a decision you’ll regret So on this Father’s Day protect yourself, have a great day and make the most of it! Only 365 days till the next one For more information visit www.financialfraudaction.org.uk. ]]>
