A campaign supported by Craig Revel Horwood, a judge on the popular UK TV show Strictly Come Dancing, is encouraging people to prioritize their safety over social norms when dealing with potential fraud. The campaign, called Take Five to Stop Fraud, highlights how people's natural tendency to be polite can be exploited by criminals. Recent research shows that over half of UK adults (53%) have spent more time than they wanted on unexpected phone calls in the past year, and nearly a third (32%) said they felt uncomfortable ending a call because they worried about being rude. Fraudsters often use this hesitation to build trust, apply pressure, and manipulate people into giving away money or personal details. Craig Revel Horwood emphasized that being firm — even to the point of being "a bit rude" — is a necessary response when dealing with suspicious calls or requests. He said people should not feel obligated to keep a conversation going if someone suddenly asks for money or personal information. It is perfectly acceptable to end the call, take time to verify the person's identity, or simply say "no." Horwood stressed that no one is owed your time just because they asked for it. A survey of 2,000 UK residents, conducted by Opinium Research in July, found that over nine in 10 people (93%) were raised to be polite to strangers. This ingrained habit can make people hesitant to question someone who claims to represent a public organization, such as a bank, the police, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), or a delivery service. However, fraudsters often pretend to be from these trusted institutions to trick people into handing over money or personal details. In fact, over a quarter (26%) of people said they feel uncomfortable challenging someone who claims to be from such an organization. Last year, criminals stole £92.4 million through impersonation scams, according to UK Finance. Jess Cook, a spokesperson for Take Five to Stop Fraud, explained that fraudsters use people’s natural politeness to keep them engaged longer, giving them more time to build trust, create urgency, and influence decisions. The campaign urges people to "put protection before politeness" by stopping the interaction, challenging the caller or sender, and protecting themselves by contacting their bank or the police if they suspect fraud. The initiative is led by UK Finance in partnership with the banking and financial services sector.