7 scam calls to watch out for
A total of 37,660 scam calls were reported to the Information Commissioner's Office between January and June 2025, according to data analysed by Uswitch.
Scam calls are a type of phishing scam, also known as vishing, where a scam caller will attempt to get you to reveal your personal and financial details over the phone under false pretences.
While there are measures in place and ways to reduce scam calls - and many are prevented from reaching you in the first place - the advancement of AI and other easily available technology can be used by scammers to bypass the checks.
Below, we look at some of the most common scam calls to watch out for and how to report phone scams.
Sign up for scam alerts
Our emails will alert you to scams doing the rounds, and provide practical advice to keep you one step ahead of fraudsters.
Sign up for scam alerts
1. Boiler servicing calls
As the weather cools, scammers are unsurprisingly taking the opportunity to use this to their advantage.
Scam callers claiming to be from British Gas are cold calling to offer boiler servicing. The aim is to get you to give away sensitive details.
2. Fake recruiters
Scam calls offering fake jobs and impersonating recruiters have been a common scam this year. These calls may lead to a variety of job scams, which can con you out of your money after ‘hiring’ you for a non-existent job.
A member of the Which? Scam Action and Alerts Facebook group reported receiving a call where the caller stated that they were from an HR department and asked to be added on WhatsApp to discuss a job opportunity.
3. Bank impersonations
Bank impersonation scams have been common for a number of years. Reports on Facebook have detailed calls claiming to be from Santander stating that someone had been using their account.
Others reported receiving calls saying that there had been fraudulent activity on their account, with the caller going on to ‘cancel’ their debit card before asking for their financial data, including the last 10 digits of the long number on the back of their bank card.
4. Broadband and telecoms deals
Which? has previously reported on scammers impersonating O2, offering fake discounts over the phone, and reports note that fraudsters are starting to impersonate EE in this scam.
On social media, people have reported calls from fraudsters pretending to be from EE and informing them that there had been fraudulent activity on their account. They were then asked to read out a code in a text sent from EE.
Giving the code to the fraudster enables them to take over your account, because they'd most likely already gained enough details to access your account and just needed the code to get in.
5. Klarna impersonation scam
These scam calls come from a withheld number where the scammer claims they are from Klarna, the buy now pay later firm. The caller says they're from Klarna's fraud department and spins a story about someone attempting to make a large payment.
The call aims to gather your details, including a code sent via text.
6. Energy savings
Reports of a call from an automated voice call (using AI) claim to be a ‘local heating advisor' or a 'local energy advisor'.
These AI voice scams typically go on to ask you to press one to speak to someone who will try to get you to reveal your personal and financial details.
Similar reports claim to be from comparison company Go Compare, stating that they can help with reducing energy bill costs.
7. Insurance
Recent reports have detailed scam calls claiming to sell appliance insurance. The same caller also suggested that insurance was required for drains and sewage. Another common call claims to be from a company offering boiler and plumbing insurance.
Others reported scam calls which left voicemails stating that they’d been an issue with their GP health insurance and they needed to 'press one' to update this.
Seen or been affected by a scam? Help us protect others
Sharing details of the scam helps us to protect others as well as inform our scams content, research and policy work. We will collect information relating to your experience of a scam, but we won't be able to identify your responses unless you choose to provide your contact details.
Share scam detailsHow to report scam calls
If you receive a scam call on an iPhone, you can report it to your provider by texting the word ‘call’ followed by the phone number to 7726.
If you receive a call on an Android phone, text the word ‘call’ to 7726. You’ll then receive a message asking you for the scam number.
On WhatsApp, open the WhatsApp chat with the dodgy phone number and tap 'block.' You can report the contact by tapping 'report contact' and 'block'.
If you lose any money to a scam, call your bank immediately using the number on the back of your bank card and report it to Action Fraud, or call the police on 101 if you’re in Scotland.
Read our guide for help on how to reduce nuisance calls.
