Understanding impersonation scams
Impersonation scams happen when a fraudster pretends to be someone you trust like your bank, the police, or even a family member to try to get you to send money.
If you've been tricked by a fraudster into sending them money, please get in touch with us by tapping Help on the bottom right of the app, search for "Reporting a scam", tap the help article and then "Report Fraud" and complete the steps in the form.
Who are they pretending to be?
Fraudsters are digital actors. Here are the most common roles they play:
The family member: 🧑🧑🧒🧒
A text from a new number claiming to be your child, parent or friend in an emergency and will ask for money almost immediately, saying they're unable to access their account themselves.
Action: Call them on their original number to check.
The helpful bank, tech firm or large store: 🏦
A caller from Monzo, Amazon, or your internet provider says your account is compromised. They’ll ask you to move money to a "safe account."
Action: Hang up. Safe accounts do not exist.
The threatening official: 👮♂️
Someone from HMRC, the Police, or the NCA claims you owe a fine or are under investigation. They may threaten you with arrest.
Action: Real officials will never pressure you to pay over the phone. You can also check HMRC online services if you have an account, and to see if your tax is up to date.
The "investigation" officer: 🕵
They ask for your help with a "sting operation" by receiving and moving money.
Action: Be careful this is money muling which is against the law.
Look out for these impersonator red flags 🚩
Extreme urgency: They’ll use threatening language and say you must act now to avoid arrest or losing your money. This is a tactic to stop you from thinking clearly.
The safe account myth: Banks might suggest moving money, but anyone telling you it's the only option might be a scammer.
Generic emails: Phishing scam emails will very rarely address you by your name, it will most likely be your email address or sir/madam. Always compare a suspicious message with a previous, known-to-be-genuine email from the company.
Phone trap: Fraudsters will threaten you to stay on the phone if you try to hang up. All legitimate companies are trained to allow their customers to hang up and call the company back. Requests for secrecy: They might tell you not to tell your family or even the bank staff about the payment.
How to protect yourself
Ignore the display name: Scammers can spoof phone numbers to make it look like they are calling from HMRC or Monzo. Don't always trust your caller ID.
Links are traps: Never click a link in a text or email to verify your identity. Always go directly to the official app or website.
We have industry leading security features to protect you against impersonation scams. If you get a call from someone claiming to be Monzo, open your Monzo app and if we actually need to speak with you, you’ll see a notification there.
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’ll have one thing in common: 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.
For more advice on how to keep yourself safe from fraud, head to monzo.com/fraud.
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