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United Kingdom
High scam pressureAuthorised-push-payment (APP) fraud, HMRC impersonation, and rental scams — with reimbursement rules now in force.
Last reviewed 2026-09-01 · sources below
What the landscape looks like
- APP fraud — victims tricked into authorising transfers — remains the UK's dominant consumer loss, with mandatory reimbursement frameworks now pushing prevention upstream.
- HMRC, Royal Mail, and energy-rebate lures recycle each tax season; Confirmation of Payee makes name-mismatch a checkable signal.
- Action Fraud is the national reporting point; reports feed UK-wide disruption, not just statistics.
Dominant loss type
Authorised push payment fraud
Seasonal peak
Tax season (HMRC lures)
Official adviser
NCSC
Dominant scams & red flags
APP / bank-transfer fraud
“Bank fraud team” calls about a compromised account and instructs a transfer to a “safe account” — owned by criminals.
- Instruction to move money to safety
- Secrecy (“don't tell the branch”)
- Spoofed caller ID
HMRC / delivery smishing
Text demands a small fee or threatens arrest, linking to a lookalike payment page harvesting card + OTP.
- Threats of arrest
- Tiny fee to release a parcel
- Link outside gov.uk
Protect yourself — checklist
- Hang up on “bank security” calls and dial the number on your card.
- Check Confirmation-of-Payee name matches before first transfers.
- Report to Action Fraud — reimbursement claims need the report reference.
Run the free checks before your next transaction
Official advisories & reporting
- Action Fraud — report fraud & cybercrime (City of London Police)
- National Cyber Security Centre guidance (NCSC)
- Report to Action Fraud
Defensive use only — please read
- These checks use public records and threat-intelligence feeds. A “clean” result means “not seen in the sources checked”, never “guaranteed safe”.
- Check only addresses, numbers, and handles you own or have a genuine reason to verify. Looking up another person without a lawful basis may violate India's DPDP Act 2023 and IT Act 2000.
- We never display passwords, dumps, or stolen data — only aggregate safety signals and what to do next.
- Victim of fraud or harassment? Report at cybercrime.gov.in (India) and contact local police in an emergency — this site is not emergency response.