AI impersonation6 minute read
Identity and impersonation
AI voice and video impersonation
Voice cloning and generated video can imitate a relative, manager or public official. The safest test happens outside the call.
Scams by type
Phone call scams: hang up, then call back on a number you trust.
A phone call puts you on the spot. The caller sets the pace, hears every hesitation and can keep you on the line while the pressure builds. The number on your screen can be faked to show a bank, a police station or a familiar name, and voice-cloning tools can imitate someone you know.
One habit defeats almost every scam call: end the call and contact the person or organisation yourself, using a number you already have. The guides below cover the calls reported most often, the signs they share and what to do if you have already acted.
9 guides · Updated 13 October 2026
The guides
Choose the one that matches.
Each guide shows a realistic example with the warning signs marked, how to verify the contact without using its details, and what to do if you already acted.
Bank impersonation7 minute read
Money and impersonation
Bank fraud-team impersonation
Scammers create panic about an account, then offer to fix it by collecting codes, remote access or a transfer.
Tech support scams6 minute read
Devices and account access
Tech-support and remote-access scams
Fake security alerts and refund calls create a computer problem, then ask for remote control, banking access or a difficult-to-reverse payment.
Account takeover6 minute read
Devices and account access
Verification-code and account-takeover scams
A caller who already has a password may need only one approval, code or recovery change to take control of an account.
Authority impersonation6 minute read
Identity and impersonation
Government and law-enforcement impersonation
Fake officials use arrest threats, badges, case numbers and real personal data to keep victims on the phone and force immediate payment or secrecy.
Recovery scams6 minute read
Money and impersonation
Refund and scam-recovery fraud
People who have already lost money are targeted again by fake investigators, recovery agents and officials who promise guaranteed results for a fee.
Gift card payments9 minute read
Money and impersonation
Gift card payment demands
Fake officials, support staff, bosses, prize organisers and online partners tell different stories but ask for the same thing: the numbers and PINs from gift cards, which can be spent without the card and are hard to recover.
Fake invoices10 minute read
Shopping and services
Fake invoices and subscription-renewal emails
A fake invoice, order confirmation or auto-renewal notice invents an alarming charge, then steers you to a phone call where scammers ask for remote access, card details or a ‘refund’ payment.
Prize and lottery scams9 minute read
Money and impersonation
Prize, lottery and giveaway scams
A message says you have won a lottery, prize draw or giveaway, then asks for a fee, ‘tax’ or your bank details before anything can be released.
What they have in common
Signs that come up again and again.
- A problem that needs fixing now: a hacked account, a debt, a warrant or a relative in trouble
- A request to stay on the line, keep the call secret or not tell your bank
- Being asked to read out a one-time code, a password or card details
- Instructions to move money, buy gift cards or pay with cryptocurrency
- A request to install an app or open a website so the caller can ‘help’
- A caller ID that shows a trusted name or number — which can be faked
What to do
Three moves that work every time.
End the call
You can always hang up. A genuine bank, agency or company will understand, and the problem — if it is real — will still be there when you call back.
Call back on a number you already have
Use the number on your card, a bill, a saved contact or the official website you type yourself. Never use a number the caller gives you.
Never read out a code
One-time codes, passwords and card security numbers are keys to your accounts. Nobody who calls you needs you to say them aloud.
Practise the pause
What would you do?
Try a realistic scenario before it happens for real. Choose a response and see why it helps or hurts.
Common questions
Short answers.
Can scammers fake the number that shows on my phone?
Yes. Caller ID spoofing lets a caller display almost any name or number, including a real bank or police number. Treat what your screen shows as a claim, not proof, and call back on a number you look up yourself.
Is it safer not to answer unknown numbers?
Letting unknown calls go to voicemail is a reasonable habit. A genuine caller can leave a message, and you can check it by contacting the organisation through details you find yourself.
The caller knew my name and bank. Was it real?
Not necessarily. Personal details can come from data breaches, public profiles or earlier scams. Knowing something about you proves that the caller has information — not who they are.
Check a suspicious contactSources
Official guidance used on this page.
U.S. Federal Trade CommissionPhone ScamsAugust 2023 · Opens official source ↗U.S. Federal Trade CommissionHow To Block Unwanted CallsJuly 2023 · Opens official source ↗Get Cyber Safe (Government of Canada)What is vishing?Modified 21 November 2023 · Opens official source ↗UK National Cyber Security CentreHow to spot a scam email, text message or callReviewed 5 September 2022 · Opens official source ↗