An anti-fraud campaign, Take Five To Stop Fraud, is urging Britons to abandon their instinct to be polite when dealing with unsolicited phone calls, after research found scammers deliberately exploit good manners to build trust and pressure victims. A survey found 53% of British adults stay on unwanted calls longer than they would like, compared with 43% of Americans, with many saying discomfort about seeming rude stops them ending calls quickly. Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has backed the campaign, encouraging people to be blunter when challenged for money or personal details.

The survey of 2,000 adults found nine in ten were raised to be polite to strangers, and 26% felt uncomfortable questioning callers claiming to represent public bodies or essential service providers, while nearly a third worried about seeming rude by ending calls swiftly. The campaign highlighted that impersonation scams involving fraudsters posing as company officials cost victims more than £92.4 million last year. Campaigners advise hanging up, refusing to engage, and independently verifying any caller's identity using trusted contact details rather than continuing a conversation out of politeness.