AI Scams UK: How to Spot and Report Them

The scams arriving in UK homes in 2026 are harder to spot than they were two years ago. Not because people are less careful, but because the technology has improved dramatically.

Criminals can now clone a voice from a few seconds of audio. They can create convincing fake videos of real people. They can send emails with no spelling mistakes, written in the exact style of your bank. All of this is done with AI tools that cost almost nothing to use. The result is that a scam call can now sound like your son, your daughter, or your bank's fraud team. You would have very little reason to doubt it at first.

This guide covers the main types of AI scam circulating in the UK, the warning signs to listen for, and exactly what to do if you are targeted. For a broader introduction to staying safe online, our staying safe with AI guide covers the basics.

How much are AI scams costing UK people?

The figures help explain why this is treated so seriously by banks and the police.

Criminals stole £1.28 billion through payment fraud in the UK in 2025, a 4% rise on the year before. Report Fraud recorded over 444,000 fraud cases in 2025, the highest annual total on record.

Authorised push payment fraud, where someone is tricked into sending money themselves believing it to be legitimate, climbed 19% to £576 million across more than 248,000 confirmed cases. Deepfake fraud attempts more than doubled in the same period, according to identity verification industry data.

Investment fraud losses surged 40% to £221.5 million in 2025, the highest of any fraud category. For anyone with savings or a pension, this is the type to be most alert to.

The four types of AI scam most common in the UK right now

Voice clone calls pretending to be a family member

A criminal finds an audio clip of someone's voice, often taken from a social media video or voicemail greeting. An AI tool learns to mimic it. They then call you using that fake voice with an urgent story: a car accident or a missed flight. They need money fast, and they ask you not to tell anyone else.

The call is designed to make you panic. Panic stops you thinking clearly. That's the point.

The defence is simple: hang up and call the person back on a number you already have saved for them. If they were genuinely in trouble, they will pick up or call you back.

Fake bank fraud team calls

Someone calls claiming to be from your bank's fraud department. They say suspicious activity has been spotted on your account. To protect your money, they tell you, you need to move it immediately to a "safe account." The safe account belongs to the criminal.

AI makes these calls more convincing. The caller sounds calm and professional. They may already know your name and partial account details, gathered from a previous data breach.

Your bank will never ask you to transfer money to a new account to keep it safe. If a caller says this, hang up. Call your bank using the number on the back of your card. Never use a number the caller gives you.

HMRC calls saying you owe tax

A recorded or live voice tells you that HMRC has found an error in your tax records. You owe money. If you don't pay today, you face a fine or arrest. Press 1 to speak to an officer.

HMRC does not work this way. They contact you by letter first, not by cold call. They do not threaten immediate arrest. They do not ask for payment by gift card or bank transfer over the phone.

If you receive a call like this, hang up. If you are worried it might be genuine, call HMRC directly on 0300 200 3300, a number you look up yourself rather than one the caller provides.

The lifestyle survey scam

This one is less well known, but it has grown through 2026. Someone calls posing as a market researcher. They want to ask you a few quick questions about your shopping habits, your health, or your opinions. The call seems friendly and harmless.

What they are really doing is collecting samples of your voice. A few minutes of natural conversation gives them enough audio to build a convincing AI clone. That clone is then used in follow-up scams: calling your family members, or authorising fake transactions in your name.

You are under no obligation to take part in any unsolicited survey call. It is fine to say no and hang up.

Warning signs across all AI scams

• Urgency. The caller insists you must act right now. Scammers create pressure because it stops you from pausing to check.
• Secrecy. They ask you not to tell your family or your bank. Genuine organisations never do this.
• Unusual payment methods. Requests for gift cards, crypto, vouchers, or transfers to a new account are always a warning sign.
• The story shifts. If details keep changing or feel slightly off, trust that instinct.
• They called you. Real fraud teams at banks rarely call out of the blue with urgent demands. HMRC sends letters first, not surprise phone calls.
• They resist verification. Ask for a name and employee number, then say you will call back. A genuine caller will agree to wait. A scammer will push harder.

What to do if you think it is a scam

You can hang up at any point. You do not owe anyone an explanation, and a genuine caller will understand.

1. End the call. Hang up, even if you are mid-sentence.
2. Wait two minutes before calling out. Some scammers stay on the line and play a fake dial tone to trick you into staying. Waiting two minutes clears the connection.
3. Call back on a trusted number. Use the number on the back of your bank card, on the organisation's official website, or one you already have saved.
4. Tell someone you trust. A family member or a friend. Saying it out loud helps you process what happened and means you have support.
5. Contact your bank immediately if you have transferred money or shared details. Use the number on the back of your card. The sooner you act, the more the bank can do.

How to report an AI scam in the UK

Reporting matters even if you were not taken in or lost no money. Every report helps police track patterns and warn others.

Report Fraud (formerly known as Action Fraud) is the UK's national fraud reporting service. You can report online at reportfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm). In Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101.

For suspicious texts: forward the message to 7726 (which spells SPAM on most keypads). It is free on most UK networks and your mobile provider will investigate.

For suspicious emails: forward them to report@phishing.gov.uk. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) reviews these and can act to take fraudulent sites down.

You can also register with the Telephone Preference Service to reduce unsolicited calls. It will not stop determined scammers, but it reduces background noise and makes any cold call easier to question.

How to protect yourself before a scam reaches you

Agree a family code word. Pick something personal that only close family members would know. If someone calls claiming to be your relative but cannot give the code word, it is not them. Agree the word with your family now, and keep it private.

Keep voice recordings off public social media. Videos, voice messages, and recordings posted publicly give criminals audio they can use. Private or friends-only settings reduce what they can access.

Shorten your voicemail greeting. A long greeting gives scammers a clear voice sample. A short "please leave a message" gives them very little.

Dial 159 when in doubt about a bank call. If you receive a call claiming to be from your bank and you are not certain it is genuine, hang up and dial 159. This connects you directly to your bank's fraud team and works for most major UK banks, including Barclays, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, and Santander.

Know the Stop Think Fraud message. The Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign, backed by UK Finance and the Home Office, has one simple principle: Stop, Challenge, Protect. Stop before you act. Challenge whether the request is genuine. Protect yourself by not giving money or details to anyone who called you without warning.

For a closer look at how voice cloning works and what the Starling Bank safe phrase approach can do, our guide to AI voice scams in the UK goes into more detail. And if you come across suspicious videos online, our guide to spotting deepfakes explains what to look for.

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