Learn from this recording of a conman in action

Here's an actual recording of attempted fraud. Sharing it is a memorable way to refresh your security awareness training. Impersonation fraudsters stole £150 million in 2020. The cost of broader fraud was £479 million. That's a theft every 3½ minutes.

Although there are many scams, this recording is a timely reminder of the common ploys criminals use to trick us into handing over money.

They impersonate status figures, create a sense of urgency and offer ways to appear authentic. They want you to react, not think.

Always pause and take the time to go through the standard checks and balances that are part of your procedures and security awareness training.

The best advice with spam calls is to hang up, but this criminal called a Moneybox reporter, Dan Whitworth, who decided to turn the tables, play along and record the incident so we can all learn from it.

The recording and commentary vividly explain number spoofing. Why it is so prevalent and the difficulty the Police face in stopping it. The best short-term remedy is education and vigilance. The more we share such stories, the better protected we will be.

The recording and interviews are on the Moneybox website (it's at the programme's start). The recording was released on 27 March 2021 and is available for "over a year". You can hear more of the fraudulent call itself on this webpage.