What to do if you've been scammed (UK): a calm step-by-step guide
First, take a breath. Being scammed does not make you stupid or careless. Modern scams are built by organised teams who do this all day, every day, and they fool careful, intelligent people constantly. What matters now is acting quickly and in the right order.
Here is what to do, starting with the things that matter most.
In the first hour: protect your money
1. Call your bank straight away. If money has left your account, or a scammer has your card or banking details, your bank needs to know now. The fastest safe way to reach them is to dial 159. It is a free, secure short number that connects you directly to your bank’s fraud team, and it works for most major UK banks. Ask them to freeze affected cards and accounts.
2. Ask about reimbursement. If you were tricked into sending a bank transfer to a scammer (this is called “authorised push payment” or APP fraud), UK rules introduced in October 2024 mean many victims are entitled to be reimbursed. Ask your bank to open a fraud claim and give you a reference.
3. Cancel and reissue any exposed cards. Do this even if no money has gone yet. A card number in the wrong hands gets used eventually.
Do not trust any "refund" call that comes to you. Scammers often phone victims pretending to be the bank, the police or a "recovery" service offering to get your money back. Always hang up and call your bank yourself on 159.
In the first day: report it and lock your accounts
4. Report the scam. Reporting will not always get your money back, but it builds the picture police use to catch these gangs, and you may need the reference for your bank claim.
- In England, Wales and Northern Ireland: report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at actionfraud.police.uk.
- In Scotland: report to Police Scotland on 101.
5. Change your important passwords, email first. Your email is the master key to everything else, because password resets land there. Change that password before anything else, then your banking and any account that shared the same password.
6. Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) on your email and banking. It means a stolen password alone is no longer enough to get in. If you find this fiddly, a password manager makes it far easier (more on that in our password guides).
In the first week: close the gaps and protect your identity
7. Check for changes you did not make. Look through your bank and email for new payees, forwarding rules, direct debits or changed contact details. Scammers often set these up quietly to keep stealing after the first hit.
8. Watch for SIM-swap signs. If your phone suddenly loses signal for no reason, contact your mobile provider. Criminals sometimes hijack your number to intercept security codes.
9. Protect your identity. If your personal details were exposed, consider a Cifas protective registration. It flags your name so lenders carry out extra checks before granting credit, which makes it harder for someone to take out loans or accounts in your name. It costs a small fee and lasts two years.
10. Check your credit reports. Look at your files with the UK credit agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) for any application or account you do not recognise. You can do this for free.
Optional extra: if the idea of watching all this yourself feels overwhelming, identity-monitoring services can keep an eye on your details and alert you if they show up in a data breach or a new credit application. We compare the ones worth paying for in our scams and fraud section, and we will only point you to services we think earn their fee.
What to expect next
Recovery can take time, especially if you are waiting on a bank reimbursement decision. Keep a simple record of every call and reference number. If your bank rejects a claim you think is valid, you can escalate it to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free.
And be ready for follow-up attempts. Once your details are “live”, they get sold and reused, so you may see more scam texts, emails and calls for a while. The habits in our scams and fraud guides will help you spot them before they land.
You handled the hard part by acting. Work through the list above in order and you will have closed the main doors a scammer can use.