Police impersonation scams: what you need to know

Sneaky fraudsters are again impersonating the police and using sneaky cold calls to scare people into revealing their financial details.

Police impersonation scams aren't new; we last saw these scams spike in October 2023 and we spoke to victims of these cold calls to understand how these scams play out. Typically, you're told that you're being defrauded and the police are trying to help you. 

As reports of these scams have increased again, we take a look at the latest scam tactics used by fraudsters who pretend to be the police.

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‘He told me to ring 999, and another fraudster picked up’

When John (not his real name) was called out of the blue, he was shocked to hear that a man had been apprehended for using his credit card in a store.

John was given a name and a police number by the fake police officer and was told to ring 999 after listening to a buzzer noise so he could speak to Essex Police to obtain a crime reference number.

Another fake officer who was in on the scam answered and asked for John’s bank account details to investigate the fake incident.

‘The penny dropped and I ceased the call, I then phoned the real police who confirmed this was a typical tactic being used by fraudsters at the moment,’ John told us.

Typical police scam tactics

Fraudsters impersonate the police to scare you into action by pretending to be a voice of authority. Some statements they typically say are:

• ‘You’ve been a victim of fraud’ - some scammers will tell you that they’re contacting you due to a fraud investigation where you’re the victim. Sometimes, they’ll say they’ve found a counterfeit item, such as a passport, with your name on it. Other times, they’ll say that there’s been unauthorised use of your bank account.
• ‘Someone reported you’ - dodgy scammers impersonating the police will sometimes try to catch you out by saying that someone has accused you of a crime, such as theft. They’ll continue with this story until they get your personal or financial information.
• ‘You’re going to be arrested’ - some police scam calls impersonate HMRC by leaving a voicemail threatening to have you arrested for tax offences. 

Avoiding cold call scams

To avoid falling victim to scam callers:

1. Never disclose your financial information over the phone.
2. Register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), which stops legitimate companies from making sales calls, so when you receive a cold call, you'll know a scammer is on the other end of the line.
3. Consider installing a call blocker for nuisance calls.
4. Sometimes, scammers can keep your phone line open even after you’ve hung up. So, after hanging up use a different phone to call the company back on a trusted number or wait for at least 15 minutes.
5. If a caller has any personal information about you, check to see whether you’ve been a victim of identity fraud by checking your credit file to see if any new accounts that you don't recognise have been opened in your name.

Reporting scam calls

On an iPhone, you can report scam calls to your provider by texting the word ‘call’ followed by the phone number to 7726.

On an Android phone, text the word ‘call’ to 7726. You’ll then receive a message asking you for the scam number.

For scam calls received 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.