Latest Scam Warnings | Safe from Scams

Scam patterns have shifted noticeably in recent years. Criminals now send phishing texts in huge batches, often spoofing names like Royal Mail, HMRC or your own bank. Cheap AI tools let them clone a relative's voice from a few seconds of audio, or build convincing fake websites for investment firms that already hold an FCA licence. A lot of fraud no longer relies on hacking anything at all. It relies on getting you, the account holder, to move money yourself, usually while you are rushed, worried or distracted.

Three main trends in scams have emerged. The first is sheer volume. Mass phishing by SMS and WhatsApp is cheap, and even a tiny response rate pays for the operation. The second is quality. AI voice clones, polished fake apps and cloned company websites have closed the gap between an obvious scam and a believable one. The third is social engineering. Fraudsters now spend days or weeks building trust, whether that is a fake "fraud team" on the phone walking you through a transfer, or a romantic contact on a dating app slowly steering you towards a crypto platform.

Basic precautions remain effective. Slow down. An urgent, unsolicited message is the single biggest warning sign, whether it claims to come from your bank, your child, HMRC or a courier. Immediately hang up or exit the message and contact the organisation yourself, using the number on the back of your card, the official GOV.UK page or the firm's entry on the FCA register. Never use a phone number, link or QR code supplied inside the suspicious message itself. If someone tells you to keep a payment secret from your bank, that indicates a scam.

For texts, forward the message to 7726 free of charge so your mobile network can investigate and block the sender. Suspicious emails pretending to be from HMRC can go to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. Anything you think is a scam, whether you lost money or not, should be reported to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or through their website. Before you put a penny into an investment, check the firm on the FCA register and read the ScamSmart warning list. Citizens Advice can help if you are not sure what to do next, and Ofcom publishes guidance on nuisance calls and number spoofing.

The articles below cover the scams we are seeing most often right now. Pick the section that fits what you have been contacted about.

Phone, text and call scams

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Got a text, call, email or offer that feels off? Paste it in below and we will tell you how scammy it looks, the warning signs to spot, and exactly what to do next.

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Online and marketplace scams

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Financial and investment scams

If something feels wrong, report it. Send suspicious texts to 7726, forward dodgy HMRC emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk, check any investment firm against the FCA register before you transfer money, and report attempted or successful fraud to Action Fraud. The sooner these scams are flagged, the quicker the numbers, websites and accounts behind them can be shut down.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Scam Detector lets you got a text, call, email or offer that feels off? Paste it in below and we will tell you how scammy it looks, the warning signs to spot, and exactly what to do next. Try it now →

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