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Guide

I Just Got a Scam Call — What Do I Do Now?

Naomi Patel 2 min read

If you’ve just put down a call that didn’t feel right, here’s what to do in the next hour. Print this list, save it to your phone, or send it to whoever you think might need it.

If you gave anything away

Cards, bank logins, one-time passcodes, anything: act now. Money moves fast.

  1. Phone your bank. Use the number on the back of your card — not a number the caller gave you. Tell them clearly: “I think I’ve been the victim of a phone scam, my card may be compromised.” They will pause the card and walk you through next steps.
  2. Change passwords. If you typed a password into anything during the call, change it now, starting with email and online banking.
  3. Report to Action Fraud. Call 0300 123 2040 or report online at actionfraud.police.uk. You’ll get a crime reference number — keep it.
  4. Tell a family member. This is a hard step. People feel ashamed of being scammed, especially older relatives. The shame is misplaced — these scammers are professionals who do this all day. A second person can help with the practical stuff and watch out for follow-up “recovery” scams over the coming weeks.

If you didn’t give anything away

Good. Now help the people who might.

  1. Write down what happened while it’s fresh. What the caller said, the number that called, the time, anything they got right (“they knew the last four digits of my card”). You don’t need to be tidy, just specific.
  2. Add the number to GhostCallers. A two-sentence report is enough. The next person who searches the number will thank you.
  3. Forward any related text to 7726. It’s free. UK mobile networks and the NCSC use these to identify phishing campaigns.
  4. Mute and block. Block the number in your handset. Even if scammers cycle through numbers, blocking still slows them down.

What to expect afterwards

Once your number is on a scam-call list, you can expect more calls — sometimes for weeks. Two things help:

  • Silence unknown callers in your handset settings (see our blocking guide).
  • Don’t engage. Don’t argue, don’t say “please don’t call again”. Just hang up. Every time you talk, the call is logged as “answered” and your number stays on the list.

You should also be alert for “recovery scams” — a fresh call, days or weeks later, from someone claiming to be from the police, a lawyer, or a “recovery agency” who says they can get your money back. That’s a second scam, run by the same gang or one of their friends. Treat it exactly the same way: hang up, report it.

A final note

You aren’t going to “win” a phone call with a scammer. They do this every day, and they’re allowed to lie. Hanging up isn’t rude. It’s the right answer. Save the energy for the report afterwards — that’s the part that actually helps someone.