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Identity theft scams involve fraudsters impersonating trustworthy individuals. They may pose as employees of your bank, police station, HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs), your GP, couriers like Royal Mail or DPD, or even your phone or broadband provider.

These scams often begin with telemarketing calls, SMS, or phishing emails. For example, you might receive a phishing email from Royal Mail or a fraudulent SMS from a bank warning you of suspicious activity. Fraudsters may already know your name, phone number, or email address (often due to data breaches), making their tricks more convincing.

The methods used vary depending on the type of scam. They may:

Impersonate a bank employee and ask you to transfer money to a "safe account" (sometimes via fraudulent SMS from Santander Bank).

Claiming that you owe HMRC taxes, as in HMRC scams or HMRC phone scams.

Demanding a small shipping fee to ship a package. This is common in fraudulent messages sent by couriers impersonating Royal Mail or DPD.

Once they've gained your trust, their goal remains the same: to steal money or personal information.

Common Types of Identity Theft Scams

Banking Scams

Scammers may claim there is suspicious activity on your account and ask you to transfer funds to a "safe account." This is a complete lie: "safe accounts" belong to scammers. Many victims have reported receiving fraudulent messages impersonating well-known banks such as Santander, Barclays, and Revolut.

Police Scams

Scammers may impersonate police officers, warning you that your bank branch is under investigation and advising you to transfer funds. These scams or fraudulent calls impersonating police officers are common and cause a lot of anxiety, making it easy to believe their lies. The police will never ask you to transfer funds.

HMRC Scams

This is one of the most common phishing scams. Victims are told they need to pay taxes or send money immediately, or that they are entitled to a tax refund and must provide payment details. Never respond without first verifying directly with HMRC.

Delivery Scams

You may receive a message asking you to pay a small fee to ship a package. Scammers often impersonate Royal Mail or DPD in these fraudulent text messages or phishing emails. Once you pay, they typically use your credit card details to steal hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

Service Provider Scams

Scammers impersonate your internet or phone provider, claiming to be experiencing technical issues. They can request remote access to your device, giving them the opportunity to steal data or install malware and obtain your banking apps and passwords.