Robocalls in the UK — Automated Voice Scams
Robocalls — also called automated calls or IVR scams — play a pre-recorded message and prompt you to press a key. They are the dominant vehicle for impersonation scams in the UK because a single computer can call hundreds of thousands of numbers per day at almost no cost.
Common signs
- A pre-recorded American or British voice asking you to press 1 to continue.
- Mentions a parcel, tax bill, bank transaction, or arrest warrant in the first sentence.
- No human is available no matter what you press.
Typical scripts
- ""Your National Insurance number has been suspended due to suspicious activity. Press 1...""
- ""This is a final notice from HMRC. To avoid legal action, press 1 immediately...""
What to do
- Hang up immediately — pressing any key confirms your number is active.
- Never call back, even out of curiosity.
- Report the number on GhostCallers and forward any related text to 7726.
Search a number
If you've received one of these calls, search the number on GhostCallers to see what other people have reported.
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