TapSafely

Scams by country

Scams in the UK: what to watch for right now

A plain summary of the scams official agencies in the UK warn about most, with the latest published figures and the fastest way to get help.

By the TapSafely editorial teamUpdated

The numbers

Criminals stole £1.28 billion through payment fraud in the UK in 2025.

UK Finance

Authorised push payment scam losses rose 19% to £576.4 million in 2025, across 248,070 cases.

UK Finance

HMRC received more than 170,000 scam referrals in the 12 months to 31 July 2025.

HM Revenue and Customs (GOV.UK)

Scams to watch for in the UK

Common in the UK

Investment scams

UK Finance says investment scams caused the largest share of authorised push payment losses in 2025, £221.5 million, up 40%.

How to spot it
Common in the UK

Purchase scams

UK Finance says purchase scams made up 71% of all authorised push payment cases in 2025, with losses of £118.1 million.

How to spot it
Common in the UK

Romance scams

UK Finance says romance scam losses rose 23% to £39.2 million in 2025.

How to spot it
Common in the UK

Bank and police impersonation calls

Report Fraud warns that fraudsters phone people pretending to be from their bank or the police and pressure them to move money.

How to spot it
Common in the UK

Fake HMRC tax refund messages

HMRC received more than 170,000 scam referrals in the year to 31 July 2025, and more than 47,000 involved fake tax refund claims.

How to spot it

Who scammers pretend to be

BanksHMRCThe policeDVLAPhone, internet and computer providers

Never trust a call, text or email just because it uses one of these names. Contact the organisation using details you find yourself.

If you've been scammed in the UK

  1. Contact your bank straight away using the number on the back of your card, or call 159 to get through to your bank.
  2. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, report fraud to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
  3. Forward suspicious texts free to 7726, and forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
  4. Report fake HMRC messages by emailing phishing@hmrc.gov.uk or forwarding texts to 60599.

Where to report a scam in the UK

Reviewed 2026-09-16. Services change, so check the official site if a link doesn't work.

Scam Weather for the UK

Loading…

Got a suspicious message?

Check it free. It works in any language.

Check a message

Questions

What are the most common scams in the UK?

According to official sources: Investment scams, Purchase scams, Romance scams, Bank and police impersonation calls, Fake HMRC tax refund messages.

What should I do first if I've been scammed in the UK?

Contact your bank straight away using the number on the back of your card, or call 159 to get through to your bank. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, report fraud to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.

Who do scammers pretend to be in the UK?

Official warnings mention Banks, HMRC, The police, DVLA, Phone, internet and computer providers.

Official sources and further reading

Figures and warnings on this page come from these official sources.