16/10/2026
POLICE BEING IMPERSONATED IN SCAM CALLS
Report Fraud, run by the City of London Police, is urging the public to be sure of who they are talking to following a spike in reports of calls from ‘spoofed’ police force phone numbers.
Analysis of data from Report Fraud, the national cyber crime and fraud reporting service, shows that there has been an increase in reports made where the caller has purported to be from a police force from a variety of areas across the country. The City of London Police itself, the National Lead Force for fraud, has also taken thousands of crime reports of a similar nature.
In reality, it is a criminal contacting a member of the public, using a ‘spoofed’ phone number to try and obtain sensitive personal or financial details - then they go on to defraud the unsuspecting individual. Often, the criminals will claim that the victim will be helping with an investigation by providing the personal or financial information they are asking for.
Criminals use ‘spoofing’ software to intentionally cover up their real caller ID and, instead, mirror the phone number of a legitimate organisation. They do this to make it appear that calls or text messages are coming from a trusted organisation, like the police, banks, or government agencies.
These scam calls may use AI technology, be automated, or from a real person. Their main goal is to trick you into sharing personal information or to transfer money.
Remember that genuine service providers, like banks and the police, will NEVER call asking you to transfer money, share personal financial details, or hand over remote control of your computer.
If you are in any way suspicious, or feel pressured into anything, hang up and take time to check if the call is genuine. Call back on a number you know to be genuine, for example as shown on your utility bills or the back of your card. You can also call 159 to get through to your bank, or 101 for the police.
Don’t trust the Caller ID display on your phone – it’s not proof of ID,
If you've lost money or have been hacked as a result of responding to a phishing message or scam call, you should report it to Report Fraud: https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/ or call 0300 123 2040. You should also report suspected scam calls by sending a text to 7726 with the word ‘Call’ and the caller's number.
If you’ve visited a website you think is suspicious, you can report a scam website or link to Action Fraud (www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/report-scam-website).
Report Fraud UK is the place to report, prevent, and learn about cyber crime & fraud
