How to Report a Scam Text Message

If a text message looks suspicious, forward it free to 7726 and do not tap any link in it. That is the national number most UK mobile customers can use to report spam texts, and forwarding reports the message to your mobile phone provider¹. It costs nothing and takes a minute³.

If you have already clicked a link, replied or paid, contact your bank first, using the phone number or website you know is genuine rather than anything in the message⁴. Then report the fraud: to Report Fraud for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or to Police Scotland if you are in Scotland⁵.

The rest of this page sets out how to forward a text on an iPhone or Android phone, what to do if you have already acted on a scam, where to report fraud, and how to tell a scam text from a real one.

Forward the text free to 7726

Forwarding to 7726 is the single action that matters most. It is a free spam-reporting service provided by phone operators, and it is a national number that most UK mobile customers can use⁷. Forwarding the message reports it to your mobile phone provider, which can then act on the sender¹.

It is worth doing even though it feels small. The National Cyber Security Centre says reporting scam texts reduces the amount of scam texts you receive, makes you a harder target for scammers and protects others from cyber crime online¹. Your one forward helps the network spot a number that is being used against many people.

The steps are the same on almost any phone:

1. Do not tap any link or call any number in the message⁶.
2. Open the message and choose the forward option.
3. Send it to 7726 as the recipient.
4. Delete the message once it has gone.

If your phone will not forward to a short number, or you cannot forward the message itself, the National Cyber Security Centre says you can take a screenshot or picture of a scam text, add it to the main content of an email and send it to them¹. That is a fallback, not a replacement: forwarding passes on the sender's number and the original wording, which is what the provider needs.

How to report a scam text on an iPhone or Android phone

The mechanics differ slightly between phones, but the principle is the same: forward the original message, do not retype it, and do not open anything inside it.

On an iPhone, open the message, press and hold the bubble until the options appear, tap More, then the forward arrow, and enter 7726 as the recipient. On most Android phones, open the message, press and hold it, tap the forward arrow at the top of the screen, and enter 7726. If your phone offers a "report spam" or "report junk" button inside the messaging app, use it as well, but still forward to 7726 so the provider receives it.

While you are in the messaging app, it is worth checking a few settings that cut down what a scam text can do:

• Keep your phone's software up to date by installing the latest updates and patches⁵.
• Only install apps from official app stores such as Google Play, the Apple App Store or the Samsung Galaxy Store⁵.
• Do not reply to the message, even to ask it to stop³.

If you are not sure whether a message is a scam at all, the National Cyber Security Centre advises that you can report it to them through their website⁹. That is separate from 7726: 7726 goes to your mobile provider, while the NCSC collects reports of scams and phishing more widely.

If you clicked a link, replied or paid: contact your bank first

Acting on a scam text is not a reason to panic, but it is a reason to move quickly and in the right order. The first call is to your bank, not to the police and not to the sender.

The National Cyber Security Centre's advice is plain: report it to your bank immediately, and always contact your bank using official websites or phone numbers⁴. Do not use the contact details provided in the message, and do not click any links you are sent⁴. If you have lost money or given a scammer your financial details, contact your bank immediately¹⁰.

What to do, in order:

1. Stop engaging. Do not reply, do not tap further links, and do not install anything the message asks for³.
2. Call your bank on the number from your card, statement or banking app, and tell them what happened⁴.
3. Change passwords for any account you entered details into, starting with your email and bank¹¹.
4. Report the fraud to Report Fraud, or to Police Scotland on 101 if you are in Scotland⁵.
5. Keep the evidence. Do not delete the message until you have reported it.

If you replied to a scam text but did not click or pay, the risk is mainly that you have confirmed your number is live, which can bring more messages. Stop replying, forward the message to 7726 and delete it. If you have lost money or given a scammer your financial details, contact your bank immediately, using official websites or phone numbers rather than any contact details in the message¹.

Reporting fraud to Action Fraud or Police Scotland

Reporting to 7726 deals with the message. Reporting the fraud deals with the crime, and it is what lets the police and banks build a picture of what is happening.

Where you report depends on where you live:

Action Fraud can also be reached by telephone on 0300 123 2040, or online at www.actionfraud.police.uk¹³. If you have lost money, tell your bank straight away and report it to Report Fraud, or in Scotland contact Police Scotland⁵.

If you have paid a ransom or a demand, the National Cyber Security Centre directs you to Report Fraud for further advice¹⁵. Age UK's staying safe guide gives the same steer: if it is fraud or a scam, contact Report Fraud¹⁶.

A report is worth making even when no money has gone. It helps the police and banks see patterns, and it gives you a reference if the scam develops. Keep the message, any screenshots and any bank correspondence together until the report is filed.

Signs a text message is a scam

Most scam texts give themselves away in the wording before you get as far as the link. The National Cyber Security Centre says the purpose of a scam text is often to get you to click a link that takes you to a website criminals use to download viruses or steal passwords or personal information, sometimes known as phishing¹.

Watch for these signs:

• Urgency or threat. The text sounds urgent or threatening¹⁷.
• Authority. It claims to be from a body you would trust, such as the government, your GP practice, the NHS or the World Health Organization⁶.
• A link or attachment. Scam texts often include links or attachments which cannot be trusted, so do not click on them⁶.
• A demand for action within a deadline. Being urged to act immediately or within a limited timeframe is a warning sign¹⁸.
• Official-sounding requests. Messages about resetting passwords, receiving compensation, scanning devices or missed deliveries are common cover stories¹⁸.
• A delivery you are not expecting. Fake missed parcel texts invite you to install what looks like a delivery or parcel tracking app, but the app is malware¹⁹.

Parcel scams are more common around the festive period, when many of us are expecting deliveries¹⁹. If you are waiting for something, check with the retailer or courier using details from their own website, not from the text.

If a message or call makes you suspicious, stop, break the contact and consider the language it uses: tell-tale signs are authority, urgency, emotion, scarcity and current events²⁰. That is a quick test you can apply to any text before you do anything else.