NatWest launches board game to educate people about scams

The game hopes to educate people about scams and break taboos around family finances.

From Friday December 1, customers can play the All Mod Cons game in selected branches.

The game was created by a team of game developers in partnership with the bank’s fraud team.

The game will be available to play at some NatWest branches (Image: Matt Alexander/PA Wire)

Players need to work their way around a board, dodging scams as they go.

Which NatWest branches will offer the board game?

• Angel, Islington (London)
• Brighton Churchill Square, East Sussex
• Bristol
• Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
• Cambridge
• Preston. Lancashire
• Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• Sheffield City Centre, South Yorkshire
• Basildon, Essex
• Stratford City, Westfield (London)
• Royal Bank of Scotland (part of the NatWest Group):
• Glasgow City
• Livingston
• Ulster Bank (part of the NatWest Group)
• Belfast City

Research indicates that two-thirds (67%) of people would like to learn more about how scammers operate and the different types of scam to help avoid falling victim, the bank said.

Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for scammers, according to research published by NatWest, with 17% of adults reporting that they receive more approaches by scammers around the festive season.

Stuart Skinner, a fraud expert from NatWest, commissioned the game after the number of scams that customers were being targeted with had increased, according to the bank’s own data.

He said: “The festive season is a time to spend with family having fun, but the fun can quickly end if one of you is hit by a scam.

“Our All Mod Cons campaign has been created to help increase knowledge of scams by getting people talking and learning about them, which is a major step in combating them.”

Bogus emails and texts, impersonation scams, refund scams, crypto cons, purchase scams and romance fraud are all popular frauds.

Jeff and Freddie Brazier have helped promote the new board game (Image: Matt Alexander/PA Wire)

The board game also features in a Christmas ad-style video, starring presenter Jeff Brazier and his son Freddie.

It sees the Braziers meet a bored family and introduce the game bringing with them festive spirit.

But then events take a dark turn as the reality of falling victim to fraud takes its toll on the players.

Who is Martin Lewis?

Jeff Brazier said: “Amidst the holiday hustle and financial pressures, it’s important to have open conversations with your loved ones about recognising scams and staying vigilant against them.”

NatWest took its survey research from two studies of 2,000 adults by OnePoll in September and October 2023.

How to avoid being scammed

It's important that you're aware of what scams can look like to prevent falling victim to them.

Anti-money laundering and finance experts at KyrosAML shared some tips to help you stay safe - you can read our article in full here.

Don’t rush into investment. Make sure to carefully inspect any investment opportunity that comes your way, especially if it seems too good to be true.

Be careful around anyone who asks you to pay a loan fee via an untraceable payment method such as a gift card.  

Under no circumstances should you send an authentication code to anyone, especially if you get a call or a text message from a number you don’t recognise.

Recommended reading:

• 8 of the most common PayPal scams to watch out for amid warning to users

• Scam warning issued to parents ahead of Black Friday 2023

To avoid being scammed when looking at potential pet dogs online, the safest bet is to go to the animal shelter and take a look at the dogs available there.

If you decide to look online, make sure to do a reverse image search to make sure the dog’s photo isn’t stolen. Do not make any payments until you see the dog in person. 

If you're sent a QR code, contact the person or a company that sent you the QR code if you ever receive one unexpectedly and use a phone number you know is authentic.