Keeping calm under pressure with Jason Fox

Two in three people regret a decision that they made under pressure. As fraudsters often use pressure tactics to scam their victims, it’s important to know how to keep your cool. We’ve partnered with former special forces sergeant and broadcaster Jason Fox for a drill on keeping calm when combatting potential fraud. 

Perhaps you receive an ‘urgent’ message that asks you to do something immediately. Or an ‘authority’ requests personal details for an important matter over the phone. How would you react?

Fraudsters try to pressure their victims. And according to our research, one in three of us admit we make impulsive decisions under pressure*.

We’ve teamed up with former special forces sergeant Jason Fox for his tips on how to spot a threat, keep cool, and help protect yourself from the pressure tactics of scammers.

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panic under pressure

make most decisions on autopilot

more worried about scams than they were two years ago

How common is financial fraud?

We surveyed a nationally representative group of 4,000 UK adults and found that 14% of people have fallen victim to a financial scam.

According to the survey, 18–34 year-olds are the most confident group when it comes to scams, with over half (55%) believing they are too technologically savvy to be scammed.

However, our research suggests this same age group could be more susceptible to the pressure tactics adopted by fraudsters. One in five (21%) 18-34 year-olds say they struggle to think clearly when put under pressure during a cold call. They’re also the age group most likely to say they make an impulsive decision under pressure (42% agree).

But it’s not just the younger generation who are susceptible. We see evidence of fraudsters targeting all age groups. And staying vigilant now is particularly important, as many fraudsters look to exploit the increasing cost-of-living, with three in 10 Brits being targeted since the crisis began. Six in 10 Brits also agree it’s more difficult to spot a scam than it was five years ago.

“Time urgency, pretending to be a voice of authority or offering something that seems too good to be true are all pressure tactics which fraudsters use to encourage you to fall for their scam.”

- Jason Fox, former special forces sergeant and broadcaster

Learn more about how to help keep yourself safe from fraud in our security centre.

*We partnered with Opinium to survey 4,000 UK adults (aged 18+) in September 2022. All statistics referenced on this page are taken from the results of that survey.

We have prepared this information with care but it is not intended to be exhaustive.