Age UK Northumberland hosting a scam bingo event to help over 50s stay safe

The event, taking place at the Buffalo Community Centre, is designed to be fun and sociable, while also helping the community spot signs against scams.

The team at Age UK Northumberland is inviting local members of the community to go along on March 29 and enjoy a different take on some traditional ‘bingo lingo’ to help people watch out for approaches from fraudsters, for example: knock at the door #4 ignore suspicious requests for your personal and financial information, unlucky for some #13 don’t let criminals get lucky with your money and up to tricks #46, criminals will use tactics to con you into making an ‘urgent’ payment.

Players will also be offered straightforward and impartial advice from Take Five to Stop Fraud which can help people protect themselves from financial fraud.

Research conducted for UK Finance’s Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign shows that 87% of over 65s say they are confident about spotting the signs of fraud, although only 20% have heard of all the five most prevalent types of authorised push payment (APP) fraud. The survey showed that the average loss for a fraud victim in the UK is £1,381.

Amy Whyte, chief executive for Age UK Northumberland, said: “We are looking forward to playing Scam Bingo with members of the local community.

"Helping people to identify scams and fraud, the different tricks criminals use, and the steps to take to stop criminals in their tracks by challenging all unexpected requests to share personal or financial information.

"We aim to empower our community to feel confident saying no or ignoring future attempts to commit fraud by criminals.”

Katy Worobec, managing director of Economic Crime at UK Finance, said: “While our research shows over 65s say they are confident about spotting fraud and scams, it is crucial to understand the changing tactics criminals use to convince people they are legitimate.

"That is why we've created Scam Bingo to empower people to challenge all unexpected requests for their information – it’s a fun way to connect and learn how to protect ourselves from fraud and scams.”

To attend the event, contact: 07977 071564 or 07977 071468.