By At Ease Online · Updated May 2026 · 8 minute read
The one rule that matters most: Your bank, the police, HMRC, and the NHS will never call and ask you to confirm your PIN, share your full password, transfer money to a "safe account", or hand cash to a courier. If a caller asks for any of these things, it is a scam. Hang up.
Important: If you hang up and call back using your landline, wait at least five minutes before doing so. Some scammers stay on the line and can intercept your next call on certain older landlines. Better still, use a mobile or a neighbour's phone.
How to Spot a Scam Phone Call
Phone scammers are sophisticated, convincing, and relentless. Knowing what they say, and what they never say, is your best protection.
Why scam calls work
Phone scams, known to security experts as "vishing" (voice phishing) - are one of the most common types of fraud targeting older adults in the UK. A 2024 University of Portsmouth study found that adults over 75 are experiencing an unprecedented number of attempted telephone frauds, with one in five respondents receiving at least one attempt every week.
One of the most disarming tricks scammers use is called number spoofing. Using widely available software, they can make any number appear on your phone screen — including the genuine number printed on the back of your bank card, or the number of a government department you've called before.
Seeing a familiar number on screen is not evidence that a call is genuine. If you are in any doubt, hang up, wait a few minutes, and call the organisation back using a number you look up yourself — from their official website, the back of your card, or a paper bill. Do not use a number the caller gave you.
Number spoofing & why you can't trust your caller ID
These are the scenarios you or someone you know is most likely to encounter:
The calls are often startling, authoritative, and designed to make you act before you've had time to think. This guide explains what scammers say, what the warning signs are, and exactly what to do. Whether you've received one suspicious call or dozens.
Scammers succeed not because people are naive, but because the calls are designed by professionals to exploit the way our brains respond to authority, urgency, and fear. When someone claiming to be from your bank tells you your account has been compromised and you need to act immediately, the natural response is panic - and panic overrides caution.
They often know details about you already: your name, your bank, sometimes even part of your account number. This information is bought in bulk from data breaches. It makes the call feel real. It is not proof that the caller is genuine.
The most common scam calls in the UK right now
The "Fraud on Your Account" Call
"Hello, this is the fraud department at [your bank]. We've detected suspicious activity on your account and we need to verify some details with you urgently.
Could you confirm your PIN?"
What they want: Your PIN, password, or for you to transfer money to a "safe account" they control. Your bank will never ask for your PIN - by phone, by keypad, or in any other way. Hang up.
The "Tax Debt / Arrest Threat" Call
"This is HMRC. A criminal case has been registered in your name for tax fraud. If you do not call us back immediately, a warrant will be issued for your arrest."
HMRC never threatens arrest by phone. They communicate first by letter. This is the most common phone scam type in the UK, according to Hiya's 2024 analysis. If you owe HMRC money, you will receive written correspondence first.
The "Your Card Has Been Used" Call
"This is Detective [name] from the Metropolitan Police. We've arrested someone with your bank card. We need you to withdraw your savings so we can tag the notes. An officer will come to collect them."
Police will never ask you to withdraw cash or hand money or valuables to someone at your door. If someone arrives claiming to collect items for the police, do not open the door. Call 999.
The "Press 1" Call
"Your Amazon account has been charged £299. If you did not authorise this, press 1 to speak to our security team."
Pressing 1 connects you to a fraudster and confirms your number is live and responsive. Simply hang up. If you are worried about a genuine Amazon charge, log into your account directly - do not act from the call.
The "Safe Delivery" Call
"We have a package for you but there's an outstanding customs fee of £3.99. Can I take a card payment now to arrange delivery?"
Even small amounts are used to capture your card details. Genuine couriers do not take card payments by phone. Go to the delivery company's official website to check any real outstanding fees.
Warning signs a call is a scam
Most scam calls share the same hallmarks. Watch for any of these:
Urgency and pressure - "You must act now or your account will be frozen." Genuine organisations give you time to think.
Asking for your PIN, full password, or security codes - No legitimate organisation will ever ask for these.
Asking you to transfer money to a "safe account" — Banks do not have safe accounts. This phrase is always a scam.
Asking you to keep the call secret - "Don't tell your family about this." A genuine caller will never say this.
Sending a courier to collect cash or valuables - No bank, police force, or government department does this.
Asking you to download an app or let them access your computer - This gives them remote control of your device.
Threatening arrest or legal action - Real agencies send letters first. Threat of immediate arrest by phone is always false.
Asking you to buy gift cards and read out the codes - No genuine organisation accepts payment this way.
What to do if you receive a suspicious call
The most important thing is to slow down. Scammers rely on you acting before you've thought it through.
Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, it probably is. You are never being rude by ending a call.
Hang up - you do not owe anyone an explanation. Simply put the phone down.
Do not call back on a number the caller gave you. Look it up yourself from an official source.
Wait five minutes before calling back on a landline, to ensure the scammer has disconnected.
Tell someone. A family member, a friend, or a neighbour. Scammers count on silence.
Do not be embarrassed. These calls fool people of all ages and backgrounds, including those who work in finance and security.
If you have already shared information or transferred money: Contact your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card. Banks have fraud teams available around the clock. Acting quickly can sometimes stop or reverse a transfer.
Reporting matters — it helps the authorities identify patterns, warn others, and in some cases trace the people responsible.
REPORT FRAUD (ENGLAND, WALES & NORTHERN IRELAND)
OR CALL 0300 123 2040 - AVAILABLE 24/7
REPORT TO YOUR MOBILE NETWORK
TEXT 7726
TEXT "CALL" FOLLOWED BY THE SCAMMERS NUMBER
SCOTLAND
Advice Direct Scotland: 0808 164 6000
If you have lost money or given out personal information, contact your bank first, then report to Report Fraud. Speed matters — the sooner you act, the more likely a transfer can be stopped.
What about the Telephone Preference Service?
The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) allows you to register your number to opt out of unsolicited marketing and sales calls. It is free to register at tpsonline.org.uk. Registration reduces the volume of nuisance calls you receive, and is worth doing.
However, the TPS does not stop scam calls. Scammers break the law regardless of any preference register. It is not a deterrent to them. Think of TPS registration as reducing background noise, not as protection against fraud.
Important: If anyone calls claiming to be from the Telephone Preference Service and asks for payment to register your number - that call is itself a scam. TPS registration is always free.
How to reduce scam calls on a mobile
If you receive scam calls on a mobile phone, there are two practical steps worth taking.
First, most smartphones have a built-in option to silence calls from unknown numbers - any caller not in your contacts will go straight to voicemail. This won't stop scammers, but it means you can decide whether to call back rather than having to answer under pressure. On iPhone, look in Settings → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers. On Android, the option is usually in the Phone app settings.
Second, you can report a scam number to your mobile network by texting 7726. Send a text to 7726 with the word "Call" followed by the scammer's number. Your network will investigate and may block the number for other customers too.
How to report a scam call
One Final Note
You can't always have someone beside you whenever a strange number calls. But when everything is properly organised and up to date, there's no room for doubt - you'll know exactly what's happening.
That's where we come in.
At Ease Online
We're worth knowing about
Sources
Sources: University of Portsmouth / Sage Journals (2024) — telephone fraud targeting older adults; Ofcom (2024) — scam call and text incidence data; Hiya (2024) — most common phone scam types UK Q4 2024; Action Fraud / Report Fraud — vishing guidance; National Cyber Security Centre — scam call reporting; Citizens Advice — nuisance calls and TPS; FCA — banking and online account scam guidance.
This guide is for information only and is updated periodically. For personalised advice about a suspicious call you have received, contact Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040.