How to Report to Action Fraud (Now Report Fraud): A Step-by-Step Guide

Action Fraud has been replaced by Report Fraud, the national service for reporting fraud and cybercrime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. To report, first call your bank using the number on your card, then report to Report Fraud online at reportfraud.police.uk or by phone on 0300 123 2040, giving as much detail as you can. You’ll get a crime reference number. In Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101 instead.

If you’ve just been scammed, you’re not alone and you’re not foolish. Fraudsters are organized, practiced and good at what they do. This guide explains what changed, what to do in the right order, what Report Fraud can and can’t do, and how to report scam emails and texts in a couple of taps.

What changed: Action Fraud is now Report Fraud

Report Fraud went live on 4 December 2025 and replaced Action Fraud. It had its full public launch in January 2026. Like Action Fraud before it, it’s run by the City of London Police, which leads on fraud nationally.

• New name and web address: report online at reportfraud.police.uk.
• Phone: call 0300 123 2040 to speak to an adviser.
• Old links still work: if you go to Action Fraud, you’re redirected to Report Fraud.
• Same coverage: England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland is unchanged: report to Police Scotland on 101.

What Report Fraud is and who should use it

Report Fraud is the central place to report fraud and cybercrime if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Reports go to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, which looks for patterns and links between cases and decides which ones to pass to a police force for investigation.

You can use it whether you’re an individual, a sole trader or a business, and whether you lost money or not. Typical reports include:

• Online shopping and marketplace scams where goods never arrived.
• Investment, crypto and romance scams.
• Impersonation scams, such as someone pretending to be your bank, HMRC, the police or a delivery company.
• Hacked email or social media accounts, ransomware and other computer misuse.
• Identity fraud, where someone opened accounts or applied for credit in your name.

If you live in Scotland, Report Fraud isn’t the right route: report fraud to Police Scotland by calling 101. Wherever you are in the UK, call 999 if a crime is happening now, someone is in danger, or a fraudster is at your door.

Before you report: protect your money first

Reporting to Report Fraud helps the police, but it won’t stop a payment. Your bank can. Do these steps first, ideally within the hour.

1. Stop contact with the fraudster. Don’t reply, don’t argue and don’t pay any “release fee” or “tax” to get money back.
2. Call your bank or card provider. Use the number on the back of your card or in your banking app. Many UK banks can also be reached by calling 159, a short number that connects you to your bank’s fraud line. Tell them you’ve been the victim of fraud and ask them to stop or recall the payment.
3. Secure your accounts. If you gave out a password, a one-time passcode or remote access to your computer, change passwords (email first), turn on two-step verification and get the device checked. Our guide on what to do if your account was hacked walks through it.
4. Save the evidence. Screenshot messages, profiles, websites, phone numbers, email addresses, bank details you paid to and transaction references. Don’t delete the conversation.

Your bank will usually ask for your crime reference number later, so it helps to report soon after.

How to report to Report Fraud, step by step

You can report online at reportfraud.police.uk at any time or speak to an adviser by phone on 0300 123 2040. The online tool asks a series of questions and adjusts them to what happened, so you don’t have to know the right category in advance.

1. Go to the official site. Type reportfraud.police.uk into your browser yourself. Scammers run look-alike “report fraud” and “recover your money” sites, and some pay for search ads.
2. Choose whether you’re reporting as an individual or a business, and whether the crime is still happening.
3. Describe what happened in your own words. Keep it factual and in date order: how contact started, what was said, what you paid, and when you realized.
4. Add the suspect details you have. Names used, usernames, phone numbers, email addresses, websites, and the sort code and account number or wallet address you paid to. Partial details still help.
5. Add payment details. Dates, amounts, how you paid and the transaction references from your bank.
6. Submit and save your crime reference number. Write it down with the date. You’ll use it with your bank, your insurer and anyone else who needs proof you reported.

If you’d rather talk it through, call Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Phoning is often better for older relatives, for people who find the online form hard, or when a lot happened and you’re not sure how to describe it.

What to have ready

Information	Why it helps
Timeline of events	Lets analysts match your report to others from the same group.
Payment details (dates, amounts, receiving account or wallet)	Receiving accounts are one of the strongest links between cases.
Contact details the fraudster used	Phone numbers, emails, usernames and websites are often reused across victims.
Screenshots and emails	You may be asked for them later if the case is picked up.
Your bank’s case reference	Connects your police report with your bank’s fraud claim.

How to report scam emails, texts and calls

You don’t need to make a full report to Report Fraud for every suspicious message that didn’t cost you anything. There are quicker routes:

• Scam emails: forward them to report@phishing.gov.uk. This goes to the National Cyber Security Centre, which can take down scam websites and email addresses. Our guide to spotting a phishing email covers the warning signs.
• Scam texts: forward them to 7726, a free number most UK mobile networks use to block scam senders. See our guide to smishing for common versions.
• Scam calls: hang up, wait a few minutes or use a different phone, and call the organization back on a number you find yourself.
• Fake accounts and listings: report them on the platform too, so they can be removed before they reach someone else.

If you did lose money or share personal details, do both: forward the message and make a full report. For a wider look at every route, including platforms and other countries, see our hub on how to report a scammer.

What happens after you report

This is where expectations matter. Report Fraud records your report and passes it to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. Analysts look for links with other reports and send cases with enough leads, such as an identifiable suspect or a traceable account, to a police force.

In practice, many individual reports aren’t investigated on their own, especially where the fraudster is overseas. That doesn’t make your report pointless. It adds to the picture that helps police find repeat offenders, shut down accounts and websites, and warn the public. You may get an update, but often you won’t hear more unless your case is picked up.

Report Fraud itself doesn’t refund money. Getting money back usually happens through your bank, which is why step one is always the phone call to them.

Getting your money back

How you paid makes the biggest difference.

• Card payments: ask your card provider about a chargeback, or a claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act for eligible credit card purchases.
• Bank transfers: if you were tricked into sending money by Faster Payments, UK rules introduced by the Payment Systems Regulator in October 2024 mean many victims of this kind of fraud are entitled to reimbursement from their bank, subject to conditions and limits. Report it to your bank quickly.
• Crypto, cash and gift cards: these are much harder, and often impossible, to recover. Still report them, and tell the exchange or card issuer.

If your bank turns down a claim you think is valid, complain to the bank in writing, then escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free to use.

Be wary of anyone who contacts you offering to recover your money for a fee, even if they claim to be from the police, a law firm, Report Fraud or Action Fraud. That’s a common follow-up scam. Our guide to recovery scams explains how they work.

A worked example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real client. Priya, a retired teacher in Leeds, gets a call from “her bank’s fraud team” saying her account is compromised. The caller knows her name and the last digits of her card, and persuades her to move savings to a “safe account”. The next morning she calls her bank on the number on her card and learns there was no fraud alert.

1. Her bank flags the transfer as authorized push payment fraud and opens a reimbursement claim.
2. She reports to Report Fraud by phone on 0300 123 2040 with her daughter’s help, giving the caller’s number, the receiving sort code and account number, and a timeline. She gets a crime reference number and passes it to her bank.
3. She changes her online banking password and tells the bank she shared a one-time passcode.
4. Two days later, an “asset recovery” firm emails offering to get her money back for an upfront fee. She recognizes it as a recovery scam and forwards it to report@phishing.gov.uk.

Priya’s report alone might not lead to an arrest, but it connects her case with others, and her bank claim is the route to her money.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Reporting to Report Fraud before calling your bank. Do both, but the bank comes first because it can act on the payment.
• Using a search ad or a link in a message to find Action Fraud or Report Fraud. Type reportfraud.police.uk yourself.
• Leaving out details because you’re embarrassed. Analysts have seen everything. Missing details make it harder to link your case.
• Deleting messages once you’ve reported. Keep them; police or your bank may ask for them.
• Naming the “scammer” publicly. The name or photo may belong to an innocent person whose identity was stolen.

When fraud affects your name or business online

Some frauds don’t just take money. Scammers clone business websites, set up fake profiles using real people’s photos, or post accusations naming the wrong person. If fraud has left fake accounts, false claims or warning posts under your name, report the fake profiles as impersonation and see our guide on what to do if someone is impersonating you online. If your personal details were misused, our guide to identity theft in the UK covers credit reference agencies and other protections. When the damage shows up in search results, our personal reputation management team can assess what can realistically be corrected or removed.

If the experience is affecting your sleep or wellbeing, that’s a normal reaction. Victim Support offers free help to people affected by crime in England and Wales, and our help resources page lists more support.

Frequently asked questions

Does Action Fraud still exist?

No. Action Fraud has been replaced by Report Fraud, which went live on 4 December 2025 and had its full public launch in January 2026. If you try to use Action Fraud, you’re redirected to Report Fraud. Report online at reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Is Report Fraud the same as the police?

Report Fraud is a police reporting service, run by the City of London Police. It records reports and passes them to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, which sends cases with enough leads to local police forces. It isn’t an emergency service: call 999 if a crime is happening now.

Can I report to Report Fraud if I live in Scotland?

No. People in Scotland should report fraud and cybercrime to Police Scotland by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency. Report Fraud covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as Action Fraud did.

Will Report Fraud get my money back?

Not directly. Report Fraud records crimes and helps police find offenders; it doesn’t issue refunds. Your bank or card provider is the route to recovering money, so contact them first and give them your crime reference number.

Should I report a scam text or email to Report Fraud?

If you didn’t lose money or share details, forwarding it is usually enough: send scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and scam texts to 7726. If you clicked a link, paid, or shared personal or banking details, make a full report as well.

What if I'm contacted by someone saying they're from Action Fraud?

Be cautious. Fraudsters sometimes pose as Action Fraud, Report Fraud or the police to target people who’ve already been scammed. Real police won’t ask you to move money, pay a fee or buy gift cards. Hang up and call Report Fraud yourself on 0300 123 2040.