How to check an officer's identity

There have been occasions when fraudsters have posed as police officers, both in person and on the phone, to trick people into giving them personal information and defraud them of money. 

If you're unsure about whether the person you're dealing with is a genuine police officer – stop – and call us on 101 to check their identity.

Please note, if you've been on the phone to someone – who called you – but you have doubts about them, we recommend that you hang up and wait five minutes before you call us. There have been cases of fraudsters keeping the line open after a victim has hung up. Leaving several minutes between calls will make sure that the call has closed.

How our officers will contact you

How our officers make contact will depend on how you've asked us to contact you and the circumstances around why they're contacting you.

For investigative purposes we may get in touch:

in person
by phone
by email

Whichever way an officer contacts you they will identify themselves clearly as an officer and explain why they're contacting you.

Contact in person

If one of our officers contacts you in person, they'll show you their police warrant card. This is proof of their identity and authority.

Contact by phone

If one of our officers needs to speak to you on the phone, they'll identify themselves clearly. They will never: 

• ask you for your bank details or PIN
• ask you to transfer funds to another account
• ask you to hand over cash or bank cards to a courier
• ask you to pay a fine or a fee to them or a third party over the phone or online
• ask you for access to your computer, passwords or log on details over the phone or online
• ask you to register personal details in an attachment or website online
• ask you to 'assist' in an investigation by doing any of the above
• state that you are committing a crime by not complying
• communicate in an abusive, threatening or coercive manner

Contact by email

If one of our officers contacts you by email, they will never: 

• ask for remote access to your computer
• ask you to click on a hyperlink to participate in an investigation
• send you unsolicited emails with attached files, especially zip or macro-enabled Microsoft Office files
• ask you for any login credentials or passwords

Remember if you're unsure about whether the person you're dealing with is a genuine police officer – stop – and call us on 101 to check their identity.

If you think you've been a victim of fraud, please report it to Action Fraud either online or by phone: 0300 123 2040.