Scam Checker

A message, call or letter has made you pause — and pausing is exactly right. Let’s look at it together, calmly.

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.

If you like, copy the message in here

I’ll look it over for common warning signs. This stays on your device — and please leave out your own personal details.

And tick anything that’s true for you:I was rushed, or told to act quicklyI was frightened or threatenedI was asked for money, codes, passwords, or bank detailsI was asked to keep it secretThe message feels unusual, or not quite rightThere’s a link or attachment I wasn’t expectingIt claims to be from my bank, HMRC, Royal Mail, the NHS, the police, or a delivery company

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 actionfraud.police.uk. Please don’t feel embarrassed — scams can happen to clever, careful people.

Call Report Fraud — 0300 123 2040 actionfraud.police.uk

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?

Our Scam Practice 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.

Try Scam Practice Read how the common scams work

One clear next step

Don’t click the link yet. Check the message using the company’s official website or phone number — the one on the back of your card, on a paper bill, or that you find yourself.