2008 TV winner
Matthew is 14 years-old and lives in Surrey. Matthew wrote about UK credit card fraud.
UK Credit Card Fraud
In the UK fraudulent credit card activity is on the rise. Figures released this year show that credit card fraud in the UK is estimated at over £500,000,000. Statistics also show that for every fraud that is reported to authorities and law enforcement, another eight frauds occur unreported. Here are some of my ideas to help produce an interesting, innovative television report that can be filmed in under 12 hours ready to be presented Live at Five in the afternoon.
Interviews
- A consumer who is a recent victim of credit card fraud
- Manager of a high street bank who can talk about methods of cracking down on fraud
- Customers who are entering a bank on the high street
- Expert on statistics relating to credit card fraud in the United Kingdom
- President of a company committed to securing websites for e-commerce (Online shopping, banking etc.)
Locations
- In a studio for main the story and small number of interviews
- Busy high street just outside of a well-known bank for short interviews with members of the general public
- Working office of the manager of a high street bank
- The home of a consumer who is a recent victim of credit card fraud
Spokespople
- Senior product manager for fraud detection at Verisign, a firm that secures websites for e-commerce
- President of IDP, a company that assesses the vulnerability of networks and online businesses (statistics expert)
- Manager of a high street bank
- Victim of credit card fraud who is now suffering repercussions because of the theft
- Senior product manager for fraud detection at Verisign, a firm that secures websites for e-commerce.
Time management
6am-8am: Preparation and travel to high street bank and set up equipment for interviews with public
8am-11am: Short interviews with members of the public entering a high street bank and an interview with the manager of a high street bank in his/her office
11am-12am: Travel to the home of s victim of credit card fraud
12pm-2pm: Interview with a victim of credit card fraud
2pm-3pm: Additional footage
3pm-5PM: Editing of footage + inserting of graphics into television report.
5pm (Live at Five): Presentation of the story and live interviews with representatives of IDP and Verisign
Angle and addtional footage
The angle of this story is based upon the fact that credit card fraud is now a growing threat towards consumers and retailers, and that we should be vigilant and wary when using our credit or debit cards.
The aim of the report is to inform viewers of how serious the threat of credit card fraud has become and how it can affect those who are victims of these scams (through interviews and statistics). The report will give a special insight into the threat of identity theft as a result of credit card fraud.
There could be additional footage of people inserting credit cards into cash machines and then extracting cash from the output of the machines, but with censoring of card details and number pads coupled with inter-cutting techniques for protection of identity.
There could also be images of people going in and out of various high street banks and people being served at the counters inside. If this footage is partitioned evenly throughout the report then this will set the scene and viewers will be able to identify more with situations discussed in the studio.
There could also be an on-screen guide displaying tips on how to keep your credit card details safe in the form of bullet points read out by a reporter. There could be a graphic behind the sentences of a pile of credit cards, a cash machine or a moving graphic of a revolving one-pound coin to signify financial relevance.
These graphics or images of banks and cash machines could also be used for the background of the studio.
There could be a re-creation (using actors) of the experience of the victim of fraud, detailing how they were scammed and how it has affected them. Scenes of the re-creation could be interspersed throughout the interview with the victim to create effect. This alternative filming technique could captivate viewers and keep their attention throughout the entirety of the report.
Quote from the judging panel
Very intelligent treatment of important story, with good suggestions touching all the right ’bases’. Plus extra suggestions, like graphics. Could have gone further, and suggested links to associated and helpful websites.