Scam Checker
A message, call or letter has made you pause — and pausing is exactly right. Let’s look at it together, calmly.
Someone pushy on the phone right now?
Hang up. You’re allowed. Nothing has to be paid or decided today.
No real bank, police officer, or company will ever mind you saying: “I’m going to hang up and call back later.” Only a scammer minds.
Helping someone else? A quick tip
Let them read each warning sign aloud and decide for themselves — your job is to be calm company, not to have the answers.
The Scam Pause
- Pause.
- Don’t click.
- Don’t reply.
- Don’t send money.
Nothing genuine is ever lost by taking your time. Now, while things are on pause, let’s check the message below.
Already given money or bank details? Skip the checking — go straight to Urgent help.
If you like, copy the message in here
Your words stay on this device. No one else can see what you type here.
Did a chatbot, AI answer or search result give you a phone number? Don’t ring it straight away. Check it against Trusted help, checked by me first — and for your bank, always use the number printed on the back of your card.
If you’ve already been scammed
Contact your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card. Then report it to Report Fraud — the national service formerly called Action Fraud — on 0300 123 2040 or at reportfraud.police.uk. Please don’t feel embarrassed — scams can happen to clever, careful people.
Worth remembering
- Your bank will never ask for your PIN or full password.
- Genuine organisations never mind you hanging up and calling back on an official number.
- Urgency is the scammer’s favourite tool. Slowing down is yours.
Was it a phone call instead?
The same pause applies, with one extra piece of protection worth knowing:
- Hang up. That’s never rude when something feels wrong.
- Don’t call back the number that rang you.
- Wait a few minutes, or use a different phone if you can — on landlines especially, scammers can keep the old call connected.
- Then ring the organisation’s real number — the one on the back of your card or a paper statement.
Your bank and the police will never ask you to move money to a “safe account”, buy vouchers, or hand over your PIN. Anyone who does is not genuine, however official they sound.
What to say when you ring the bank
Not knowing the right words stops many people from picking up the phone. You can read these out exactly as they are:
- “I think I may have been contacted by a scammer. Could you check my account is safe?”
- If money has left your account: “I made a payment I now believe went to a scammer. I’d like to report it and ask what can be done.”
The person answering handles calls like this every single day. They will not be cross with you — helping with exactly this is their job.
Want to get quicker at spotting them?
The Scam Practice page lets you look at example messages — some fake, one genuine — with nothing at stake. It’s the safest way to learn the feeling of catching one.
Prefer paper? Print this as a one-page guide — a steady backup to keep by the phone, in case a screen ever freezes or goes blank.
One clear next step