What to do if you think you are being or have been scammed?
There are immediate steps to take when you think you have been scammed.
- If money has been lost or exchanged, contact your bank immediately to alert them. The bank may be able to stop the payment or provide support to obtain your money back.
- Regardless of whether the scammer was successful or not, you should report your suspicions or evidence to Action Fraud: 0300 123 2040 or report it online: www.actionfraud.police.uk. In Scotland, you can contact Police Scotland by calling 101 or Advice Debt Scotland on 0808 164 6400.
StopScams UK launched a new service in 2012, which is an immediate way of contacting your bank’s fraud department. If you or someone you know is being asked for personal or bank details, hang up and call 159 immediately. When connected you will be asked to select a number on the keypad connecting you safely to your bank where you can advise them you may have been victim to a scam.
For free impartial advice, you can call MoneyHelper’s Financial Crimes and Scams Unit on 0800 015 4402.
The Financial Conduct Authority regulates the financial services industry in the United Kingdom and can be contacted to report scams in the UK. Phone on: 0800 111 6768 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.) or report it online: www.fca.org.uk/consumers/report-scam.
If you have been offered an investment or pension opportunity you can check to see if this might be a scam by visiting ScamSmart, part of the Financial Conduct Authority.
What to do if you fall victim to an online scam
Research shows that while many people do take action after encountering a scam, 17% did not act after they realised they were a victim of a scam or fraud. While this is sometimes due to shame and embarrassment, other reasons include they didn’t think it would help or make a difference, they didn’t know where to turn, or they didn’t see it as “bad enough” to do something about it.
However, actions that you take can help you get your money back or may even help to catch the person responsible, preventing them from doing so again in the future.
Citizen’s Advice has a guide for checking if you can get your money back after a scam, which you can find here.
If being a victim of a scam has left you worried about your finances, you can read more about the link between money worries and mental health.
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