Launching for Take Five Week 2026, Read Between the Lies uses the power of storytelling to bring fraud prevention to life – tapping into the nation’s love of crime fiction to expose how scams really work. Each story is inspired by real fraud tactics and encourages readers to ‘think like a detective’ and apply the same instincts they use in crime books, TV and podcasts to everyday situations.
From unexpected messages to urgent payment requests and deals that sound too good to be true, scams often follow particular patterns and apply pressure. However, the campaign aims to show that, just like in crime fiction, the clues are there and can be uncovered if you know what to look for.
Fraud is the UK’s most common crime
Fraud now accounts for over 40% of all reported crime in the UK, with an estimated 4.15 million incidents affecting individuals each year – making it the single biggest crime…
Identity theft is the “foundational” fraud upon which many other crimes are built. It involves the unauthorized acquisition and use of a person’s personal identifying information (PII), such as an ID number, Social Security number, or passport details.
- How it works: Fraudsters obtain PII through data breaches, mail theft, or “social engineering” (tricking people into revealing details). Once they have this data, they can open new bank accounts, apply for credit cards or loans, and even receive medical treatment under your name.
- Synthetic Identity Fraud: A sophisticated variation where criminals combine real and fabricated information to create a completely new, “synthetic” person. This is particularly difficult to detect because there is no single victim to report the suspicious activity initially.