Virgin Media O2 is giving away free beer in pubs from today
Virgin Media O2 are giving away free beer across selected pubs from today to shine a light on Fraud Awareness Week.
The telecoms giant has teamed up with actor and documentary maker, Ross Kemp, to launch "Crafty Lager 7726" in which it hopes to encourage conversations about scams and fraud, what to look out for and actions to take to remain safe.
You will be able to get the two free drinks - either alcoholic or non alcoholic - at a selected number of pub venues across the country by ordering a "7726" at the bar. You'll need to be quick the offer is only on from today (November 15) until the end of the month (November 30).
The participating pubs include:
- The Brown Cow, Liverpool
- Titwood Bar, Glasgow
- The Boards Head, Oswestry
- The Miners Arms, Middlesborough
- Gardeners Arms, Northampton
- Off Broadway, Hackney
To get the conversation started, the label gives drinkers advice on how to report dodgy calls and texts by forwarding them to 7726 – which spells ‘"SPAM" on an alphanumeric phone keypad – on any network. It also reminds consumers never to share one-time passcodes over the phone.
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Commenting on why he is backing the campaign, Ross Kemp said: “I’ve teamed up with Virgin Media O2 in the fight against scammers to launch Crafty Lager 7726 and help put fraud top of the agenda when catching up with mates or family for a drink. With these fraudsters continually adapting their tactics, it’s important to keep your guard up. If you receive a call or a text unexpectedly, offering a deal too good to be true and asking for a security code, don't share it; just hang up – it's almost certainly a scam.
“The more we talk about fraud the better we become at spotting the signs. So, whether it’s a beer or a brew, whatever your choice of beverage, why not take the chance to have a chat over a drink and break the taboo.”
Virgin Media O2 launched the campaign off the back of new research which revealed that nearly a quarter of Brits report falling for a scam, and more than two in five (41%) know someone else who has. Of those who have fallen for a scam, 68% have lost money as a result - with the average loss being £393.
However, nearly two-thirds of victims didn’t tell their family about their experience, with three in 10 Brits finding it more embarrassing to talk about than their reasons for going to the doctor or tripping in public.
Rob Orr, chief operations officer at Virgin Media O2 said: “Fraud is now a national epidemic and, with thousands of people falling victim every single day, we are committed to doing all we can to help the UK swerve the scammers. Awareness of common scams and tactics can help consumers fight the phoneys, so we are arming Brits with the tips and tools they need to protect themselves. That’s why we’re proud to launch Crafty Lager 7726; which puts top tips on staying safe into consumers’ hands, kickstarting a national conversation.”
Virgin Media O2 says that by reporting scam texts, it helps them alongside other telecoms providers to both block the mobile numbers used by fraudsters and prevent or shut down similar scams faster in future. So far this year, Virgin Media O2 has blocked nearly 80million texts thanks to reports to 7726.
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