Protecting yourself against financial scams The penny drops

Millions of people are affected by financial fraud and scams every year – whether it’s online, over the phone, by post or in person. In this episode, host Andrea Fox speaks to Marilyn Baldwin OBE, founder of Think Jessica, about how we can spot financial scams and protect ourselves from them. Marilyn spent five years trying to help her elderly mother Jessica who fell victim to numerous scammers and set up Think Jessica, an organisation committed to protecting people from financial fraud, shortly after she died.
How can you find more information? Royal London recommends you seek professional independent financial advice before making financial decisions. You can learn more about the value of financial advice on our website, or visit Unbiased to find a trusted professional in your area. You can also find lots of helpful information on recognising, avoiding and reporting financial scams on the following sites:
General information and support
Think Jessica: www.thinkjessica.com
Take Five: takefive-stopfraud.org.uk
Money Advice Service: www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/categories/scams
Royal London: www.royallondon.com/media/good-with-your-money-guides/avoiding-scams
Preventing postal fraud
Mail Preference Service: www.mpsonline.org.uk
Citizens Advice: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/post/stop-getting-junk-mail
Preventing telephone fraud
Telephone Preference Service: www.tpsonline.org.uk
Citizens Advice: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/phone-internet-downloads-or-tv/stop-getting-nuisance-calls-and-texts
Preventing online fraud
Nation Cyber Security Centre: www.ncsc.gov.uk
Reporting a scam
Action Fraud: www.actionfraud.police.uk
This episode was recorded in January 2021 during the coronavirus outbreak. For the latest information on financial support and benefits, visit gov.uk/coronavirus. Please note that all topics discussed in this episode can vary depending on your personal circumstances. Any figures quoted were accurate at the time of recording.