The BBC will showcase a host of new commissions next week for Be Scam Safe week.
Rachel Platt, Commissioning Editor for BBC Daytime:
“With fraud now accounting for 40% of all crime in the UK, raising awareness is more important than ever.”
With scammers emboldened as the cost of living crisis continues to place a strain on people’s pockets, the Beeb will provide a timely exploration into this burgeoning industry. There will be coverage across the week on TV, Radio, iPlayer and online with the aim to inform audiences on how best to avoid a scam, and what to do if you’ve been caught up in one.
The Be Scam Safe campaign is expected to be the largest consumer campaign in recent history, set to reach more people than ever before with a clear unified call to action to stop scammers. Leading the way, BBC One is releasing the latest run of all new episodes of the BAFTA-nominated show Scam Interceptors presented by Rav Wilding, investigative journalist Nick Stapleton and ethical hacker Jim Browning on Monday 23rd October, with all episodes dropping on iPlayer on the same day.
Throughout the week, Morning Live will launch its very own sub-campaign called ‘Stick It To The Scammers’. The campaign sees stickers distributed directly to the audience to act as visual reminders to stop and think if contacted out of the blue. The One Show will be supporting throughout the week with Watchdog’s Matt Allwright arming viewers of both shows with expert advice to keep them and their money safe.
BBC Radio 4’s Money Box will do two separate shows, with the team going to a bank’s fraud call centre in Sunderland, as well as interviewing Adrian Searle, Director of the NCA’s National Economic Crime Centre and BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine Show will run a dedicated scam story on October 26th.
BBC Three documentary, Hunting the Catfish Crime Gang will follow James Blake – a 30-year-old entrepreneur from Lisburn – as he uncovers a world of organised crime on his fight to get his identity back.
All of the BBC’s scam content will be easily accessible through the Be Scam Safe website, with everything amplified on the BBC’s social media platforms throughout the week using the hashtag #BeScamSafe.
Rachel Platt, Commissioning Editor for BBC Daytime:
“Being scammed can be a devastating experience for victims of fraud and the impact is often so much more than simply financial. The BBC is uniquely placed to use its wide range of experts and platforms to reach and empower our audiences. It’s great to pull everything together in one place, for a whole week, as we look to arm people with the tools they need to stay safe.”
