Scam checker: is this message a scam?
Last checked November 2026. Offers and rules change: confirm with the provider before you rely on them.
Had a text, call, email or knock at the door that does not feel right? Tick every warning sign you can see. The checker tells you how worried to be, what to do next and who to report it to. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
If you have already paid or given details
- Call your bank now. Dial 159 to be connected safely to most UK banks, or use the number on the back of your card.
- Report it. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, report to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at reportfraud.police.uk. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
- Change your passwords for anything the scammer may have seen, starting with email and banking. See passwords made simple.
- Tell someone you trust. Scammers rely on people feeling embarrassed. Being caught out is not a failing: these are professional criminals.
Reporting a scam you spotted in time
- Forward scam texts free to 7726.
- Forward scam emails to [email protected].
- Report a rogue doorstep trader to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline.
More detail: spotting scams, online shopping safety, paying safely online, doorstep selling rights and the landline switchover, which scammers are using as a cover story.
Common questions
Can the checker tell me a message is genuine?
No, and nothing can from the message alone. If no warning signs apply, the safe move is still to contact the organisation yourself on a number or website you already trust.
Would my bank ever ask me to move money to keep it safe?
Never. Nor will the police. Any request to move money to a "safe account" is a scam, however convincing the caller sounds.
The caller knew my name and address. Does that make it real?
No. Criminals buy and steal personal details. Knowing things about you proves nothing.
Will I get my money back?
Often, yes, if you were tricked into sending a bank transfer and report it quickly: banks have to reimburse most victims of this kind of fraud, up to a limit. Tell your bank straight away.