Reporting a scam in United Kingdom

First hour, in order

Call your bank. Dial 159 to reach your own bank securely, or use the number on your card. Never a number given to you by the caller.
Stop paying. No fee, tax or "release payment" ever unlocks money that does not exist.
Screenshot everything before you delete an app, block a number or close an account.
Then report using the routes below. Reporting is slower than the bank call, and less urgent — but it is what produces enforcement.

The national reporting centre for England, Wales and Northern Ireland is Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud. Scotland reports to Police Scotland on 101. The UK also has 159, a short code that connects you to your own bank — the single most useful number to memorise here.

England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, report fraud to Police Scotland on 101 instead.

Where to report

Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud)

Open the reporting page

Phone: 0300 123 2040

Also worth using

Police Scotland — 101
All fraud and financial crime in Scotland goes here, not to Report Fraud.
Stop Scams UK — 159 — 159
Dial 159 to be connected securely to your own bank. Use it whenever someone claiming to be your bank calls you.
Forward scam texts to 7726 — 7726
Free. Text the word 'Call' followed by the scammer's number.
Forward scam emails to [email protected]
National Cyber Security Centre's Suspicious Email Reporting Service.
Financial Conduct Authority
For unauthorised firms and investment scams; check the FCA Register before investing.

If your identity was used

Cifas protective registration is the route for identity misuse: new accounts opened in your name, credit taken out, documents copied.

What not to do

Do not pay anyone to recover your money. No legitimate service charges an up-front fee to get stolen funds back, and people who have just been scammed are the primary market for recovery scams.
Do not use contact details the scammer gave you — not the phone number, not the "support" chat, not a link in a message. Look the agency up yourself.
Do not delete the evidence. Apps, chats, wallet addresses and transaction IDs are what make a report actionable.
Do not send one more payment. This is where most of the largest losses happen.

Sources

Agency names, URLs and phone numbers were checked on 2026-09-06. Government contact details do change — if something here is wrong, please tell us.

Reporting fraud. UK Government, Stop! Think Fraud campaign. Accessed 2026-09-06.
Report Fraud. City of London Police. Accessed 2026-09-06.