How to Report Fraud in the UK (2026 Legal Guide) — Rules & Requirements
About this article
Sourced from UK Acts of Parliament, statutory instruments, and official guidance. Written in plain language for general understanding — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards
What is this right?
Action Fraud is the UK's single national point of contact for fraud and cybercrime. It is run by the City of London Police on behalf of all UK police forces and feeds the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, which assigns reports to local forces where there is a workable line of enquiry. Filing serves three concrete purposes: it generates the national reference number every downstream complaint uses, it builds the intelligence picture against repeat scammers, and it is required by some banks and insurers as evidence of a contemporaneous report.
Action Fraud is not the only UK reporting channel. FCA ScamSmart covers investment scams and unauthorised firms. Cifas protects your identity data from being reused. Trading Standards (via Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133) handles consumer fraud where a UK business is involved.
When does it apply?
- Any fraud, scam, or attempted scam in the UK, online or offline — Action Fraud.
- An investment or pension that turns out to be from an unauthorised firm, a clone of a real firm, or with returns that don't add up — FCA ScamSmart.
- Your identity, NI number, or document data was used to apply for credit or open an account — Cifas Protective Registration.
- A UK business misled you about goods or services — Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133, which feeds reports to Trading Standards.
- You suspect a cyber attack on a UK business — the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) for high-impact incidents.
Filing the Right UK Fraud Reports
- File with Action Fraud first. Online at actionfraud.police.uk or by phone on 0300 123 2040 (Monday–Friday 8am–8pm). For ongoing crimes in progress, call 999. The online form asks for: your details, the suspect's details if known, the channel (email/phone/in person), the financial details, the timeline, and any evidence (screenshots, texts, emails). Action Fraud generates a national crime-reference number — write it down.
- For investment or pension scams, also file at FCA ScamSmart. The FCA maintains a warning list of unauthorised firms, clones, and known scam patterns. Filing helps the FCA add new firms to the list and may unlock the Financial Services Compensation Scheme route (limited to authorised-firm failures).
- Apply for Cifas Protective Registration (£25, 2 years). Cifas runs the UK's national fraud-prevention database; once registered, UK banks and lenders perform extra ID checks before approving credit in your name. Apply at cifas.org.uk.
- For UK-business consumer fraud, call Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133. The Citizens Advice consumer service feeds reports to Trading Standards, the UK's enforcement arm for consumer protection. Useful for misleading sales, unfair contract terms, and trader-side breaches.
- Add the references to your timeline. Your bank, the Financial Ombudsman, your insurer, and any later civil claim will all ask for the Action Fraud reference number.
What should you NOT do?
- Don't expect a personal investigator. Action Fraud's case-disposal rate is low — most reports feed the intelligence picture rather than producing an individual police case officer. The report's value is in unlocking the downstream civil channels (bank refund, FOS), not in criminal prosecution.
- Don't post detailed scam evidence on social media before filing. Scammers monitor victim posts and use them to refine the next attack. Evidence belongs to the official channels first.
- Don't pay a 'tracing agent' or 'asset recovery' firm offering to recover scammed funds for an upfront fee. The FCA repeatedly warns these are themselves scams. All UK official recovery routes are free.
About Scams, Fraud & Money Recovery in United Kingdom
The UK has the strongest consumer money-recovery regime in the English-speaking world. The Payment Systems Regulator's mandatory APP fraud reimbursement rules took effect on 7 October 2024 — sending banks must now refund authorised push payment scam victims up to £85,000 per claim on Faster Payments and CHAPS, with cost split equally between the sending and receiving banks. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes the credit-card issuer jointly liable with the merchant for breach of contract or misrepresentation on any credit-card transaction where the cash price was more than £100 and not more than £30,000. The Payment Services Regulations 2017 (regulation 76) require unauthorised-transaction refunds by close of next business day. The Financial Ombudsman Service resolves all of it for free and its decision is binding on the firm if you accept.
The pages below walk you through the first 24 hours, reporting to Action Fraud, and recovering money under the right route for how you paid.
Common Questions
Will Action Fraud investigate my case?
Most cases do not get an individual investigator. Action Fraud feeds the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, which assigns reports to local police forces only where there is a workable line of enquiry. The report's higher-leverage value is the reference number, which the Financial Ombudsman, your bank, and your insurer all use.
What is the difference between Action Fraud and the FCA?
Action Fraud takes reports of any fraud or cybercrime committed against people in the UK. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates UK financial firms and maintains ScamSmart, which lists unauthorised firms and clone firms posing as authorised ones. File both if your scam involved an investment, pension, or firm claiming to be regulated.
Does Action Fraud cover Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Action Fraud covers England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Police Scotland handles fraud reports in Scotland — call 101 or report online at scotland.police.uk. The downstream Financial Ombudsman and Section 75 rights are the same UK-wide.
Is Cifas Protective Registration worth £25?
Almost always yes after any scam involving disclosed identity data (name, date of birth, NI number, address, document images). Cifas's database is consulted by most UK banks, building societies, and credit lenders; a registration tells them to do extra ID checks for 2 years. The £25 covers the administration cost.
What is the reporting fraud to action fraud and the fca right in United Kingdom?
Action Fraud is the UK's single national point of contact for fraud and cybercrime. It is run by the City of London Police on behalf of all UK police forces and feeds the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, which assigns reports to local forces where there is a workable line of enquiry. Filing serves three concrete purposes: it generates the national reference number every downstream complaint uses, it builds the intelligence picture against repeat scammers, and it is required by some banks and insurers as evidence of a contemporaneous report.Action Fraud is not the only UK reporting channel....
When does reporting fraud to action fraud and the fca apply?
Any fraud, scam, or attempted scam in the UK, online or offline — Action Fraud.An investment or pension that turns out to be from an unauthorised firm, a clone of a real firm, or with returns that don't add up — FCA ScamSmart.Your identity, NI number, or document data was used to apply for credit or open an account — Cifas Protective Registration.A UK business misled you about goods or services — Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133, which feeds reports to Trading Standards.You suspect a cyber attack on a UK business — the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) for high-impact inci...
Where do I report a scam in the UK?
File with Action Fraud first. Online at actionfraud.police.uk or by phone on 0300 123 2040 (Monday–Friday 8am–8pm). For ongoing crimes in progress, call 999. The online form asks for: your details, the suspect's details if known, the channel (email/phone/in person), the financial details, the timeline, and any evidence (screenshots, texts, emails). Action Fraud generates a national crime-reference number — write it down.For investment or pension scams, also file at FCA ScamSmart. The FCA maintains a warning list of unauthorised firms, clones, and known scam patterns. Filing helps the FCA add n...
What mistakes should I avoid with reporting fraud to action fraud and the fca?
Don't expect a personal investigator. Action Fraud's case-disposal rate is low — most reports feed the intelligence picture rather than producing an individual police case officer. The report's value is in unlocking the downstream civil channels (bank refund, FOS), not in criminal prosecution.Don't post detailed scam evidence on social media before filing. Scammers monitor victim posts and use them to refine the next attack. Evidence belongs to the official channels first.Don't pay a 'tracing agent' or 'asset recovery' firm offering to recover scammed funds for an upfront fee. The FCA repeated...