United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has well-established reporting routes for fraud and cybercrime. Common patterns include impersonation of banks and police, investment and crypto fraud, romance fraud, and payment redirection affecting businesses.

Scams are not unique to any country. Fraudsters adapt the same playbooks to local languages, banks and payment systems. This guide is educational and not legal advice.

Common scams

What to watch for locally

Bank and police impersonation
Investment and crypto fraud
Romance fraud
Payment redirection and invoice fraud
Parcel and delivery smishing
Purchase and marketplace scams

Authorities

Who to contact

Action Fraud
National reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime
Visit
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
Regulates financial services; publishes a warning list
Visit
Ofcom
Communications regulator for calls, messaging, and number misuse
Visit
National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)
National technical authority for cyber security
Visit
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Data protection and privacy regulator
Visit
Citizens Advice
Free, independent consumer advice
Visit

Reporting

How to report a scam

Action Fraud
Report fraud and cybercrime online or by phone.
Visit
Your bank's fraud line
Call immediately if money has moved or details were shared.
Visit
FCA warning list
Check and report unauthorised financial firms.
Visit
Ofcom
Report nuisance calls and number misuse.
Visit

Consumer resources

Where to get help

Citizens Advice
Consumer rights and practical help.
Visit
NCSC guidance
Cyber security advice for individuals and businesses.
Visit
ICO
Guidance on personal data and identity theft.
Visit

Banking safety

Protecting your money

Banks will never ask you to move money to a safe account or to share a full password or one-time code. If a call feels wrong, hang up and call the number on your card. Use your banking app to review transactions.

Telecom guidance

Protecting your number

Register with the Telephone Preference Service to reduce nuisance calls and report persistent misuse to Ofcom. Never confirm a code to a caller claiming to fix a network issue, as this can relate to a number transfer.

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