The Scams Doing the Rounds in the UK Right Now (And How to Spot Them)

Most of what I write here is about putting money back in your pocket. This one’s a bit different. It won’t make you a penny — but it might stop you losing a small fortune, and these days that matters just as much.

Scams in the UK have got out of control. In 2025, criminals stole over £1.2 billion through payment fraud, across more than four million separate cases. That’s not a typo. Four million. And the people being caught out aren’t who you’d think — it’s not just the elderly or the “not very tech-savvy.” These scams are slick and convincing, put together by organised criminals who do this for a living. Anyone can be caught off guard on a busy day. If it’s happened to you, you’re not daft, and you’re definitely not alone.

So here’s a plain-English rundown of the scams doing the rounds right now, how they actually work, and the simple habits that keep you safe.

The fake delivery text

This is the one almost everyone has had. A text turns up saying a parcel couldn’t be delivered, and you need to pay a small fee — usually something like £1.45 or £2.99 — to rearrange it. There’s a link. The link goes to a website that looks just like Royal Mail, Evri, DPD or Amazon.

Here’s the trick: they don’t actually want the £1.45. They want the card details you type in to pay it. Once they’ve got those, they can take a lot more, or sell your details on.

The thing to remember is simple: real couriers never text you asking for a payment to redeliver. If you owe a genuine customs fee, it comes through proper channels, not an urgent text with a link. So if a delivery text asks for money or your details, it’s a scam — no matter how real the logo looks.

If you’re expecting a parcel and not sure, don’t tap the link. Go to the courier’s actual website or app yourself and check the tracking there.

The “your account isn’t safe” phone call

This is the one that does the most damage. You get a call from someone saying they’re from your bank — or sometimes the police. They tell you fraud’s been spotted on your account, your money’s at risk, and you need to move it to a “safe account” right away to protect it.

None of it’s true. The “safe account” belongs to the criminal. And because you make the transfer yourself, the money is very hard to get back.

The golden rule: your bank will never, ever ask you to move money to another account to keep it safe. Neither will the police. If anyone tells you to do that, it’s a scam, full stop.

There’s a free tool for this that not enough people know about. If you get a call like this, hang up, and dial 159. It connects you straight and securely to your own bank’s fraud team — it works like 999 for the police or 111 for the NHS, and it can’t be faked. Most major UK banks are signed up. Stop, hang up, call 159. It’s worth saving that number in your phone right now.

The celebrity investment scam

This one’s exploded thanks to AI. You’ll see an advert — on Facebook, Instagram, even what looks like a news site — showing a famous, trusted face recommending an investment that’s making people rich. Often it’s Martin Lewis (he’s said he’s the most scammed face in Britain), sometimes with Elon Musk attached, promoting things with names like “Quantum AI.”

It’s fake from start to finish. Criminals use AI to clone the person’s face and voice from real TV clips, so it looks and sounds genuinely like them. But Martin Lewis — and people like him — never endorse investments. Ever.

And what happens next is nasty. People invest, watch a fake “balance” grow on screen, then find they can’t withdraw a penny. When they try, they’re told to pay more “fees” first, which also vanish. One man lost £76,000 this way.

The rule here: no genuine celebrity promotes get-rich investment schemes in social media adverts. If you see one, it’s a scam, however real it looks. And anything promising high or “guaranteed” returns is a red flag on its own — real investing never works like that.

The missed-delivery card through your door

A newer twist on the delivery scam. A card lands on your doormat that looks like a real “we missed you” note from a courier. It tells you to scan a QR code or visit a website to rearrange. Both lead to a fake page after your payment or personal details.

Same rule as the texts: check using the courier’s real app or your original order confirmation, not the card. A genuine missed delivery will show up in your real tracking.

The job that’s too good to be true

With money tight, “easy work from home” scams are everywhere. They often start with a friendly WhatsApp or text offering well-paid work doing simple online “tasks.” It seems to pay at first — then they ask you to put your own money in to “unlock” bigger earnings, and that’s the last you see of it.

Real employers don’t ask you to pay them to work. If a job involves you handing over money up front, walk away.

The simple habits that keep you safe

You don’t need to be an expert. Just a few steps cover you against nearly all of it:

Slow down. Almost every scam relies on rushing you — “act now,” “your account’s at risk,” “limited time.” A genuine organisation will never mind you taking a moment to check. Pressure to act fast is itself a warning sign.

Never click links in unexpected texts or emails. Go to the website or app yourself instead.

Never share a one-time passcode or your full card details with anyone who contacts you — your bank will never ask for them.

If a call worries you, hang up and dial 159 to reach your bank safely.

If in doubt, it’s never rude to stop. Hanging up the phone or ignoring a message is a sensible thing to do, not an impolite one.

If you think you’ve been caught out

Act quickly — the sooner you move, the better the chance of help.

• Call your bank straight away on the number on the back of your card (or dial 159). They can try to stop or recover the payment.
• Report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040 (in Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101).
• Forward scam texts to 7726 (free, on every network) and scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. This helps get the fake sites taken down for everyone else.

And if it has happened to you — please don’t carry it in shame. These are professional criminals using sophisticated tools designed to fool clever, careful people. Being targeted says nothing bad about you. Reporting it, and telling the people around you, is exactly how we make it harder for them.

Stay sharp out there.

— Emma