Understanding Impersonation scams

"When you think of impersonation scams, the first kind that comes to mind might be someone pretending to be your bank and asking you to move money to a ""safe account."" We have some information on how to recognise these scams, but you should know there are other common impersonation scam to watch out for. Some examples include:

Family and Friends

Typically these start with a text from an unknown number claiming to be a family member or friend - although you might receive one from their social media profile, or see in it their story instead. These texts or posts will ask for money almost immediately, saying they're unable to access their account themselves. If you're unsure that the message is genuine, you should contact the person by another method - ideally by phone or video - to check the request is real.

HMRC or Local Courts

HMRC and Local Courts are highly unlikely to call you directly to ask for payment. HMRC will also never threaten you over the phone with a court date or arrest. If you're unsure the request is real, contact HMRC using the details on their website. You can also check HMRC online services if you have an account, and to see if your tax is up to date.

Internet Providers

Scammers will sometimes call you claiming to be from your internet provider, saying that a hacker has made their way into your network and you need to move your money to keep it safe. Genuine internet providers will never ask you to do this.

Large Online Stores

Fraudsters will call claiming to be from a large online company, like Amazon, and explain your account is compromised and you need to approve some payments or move money to keep it safe. If this ever happens, end the call and contact the company directly on their website. We'd also recommend changing your passwords and checking your shopping account and email are safe if something like this happens.

National Crime Agency (NCA) or Police

The police or NCA will never call you directly and pressure you into making a payment. If someone claims to be from the NCA, they might say that you're helping their investigation by clearing your account, or even convince you to receive a payment and send it on. You should be very careful as doing this could be considered money muling which is against the law. We recommend hanging up and calling the non-emergency police number on 101 to report the call.

It's worth remembering that this isn't an exhaustive list of impersonation scams - fraudsters can claim to be anyone at any time, but they all have one thing in common: they will always steer the call or messages quickly towards asking for money. You should always be cautious with requests for money, even if you think you can trust the person or organisation. And if you are ever in any doubt, don't make the payment.

You should always be cautious with requests for money, even if you think you can trust the person or organisation"