Reporting Online Concerns

Reporting online concerns is important because it helps keep the internet safer for everyone. When you report harmful content, scams, fake accounts, or inappropriate adverts, you’re helping stop problems before they grow and protecting others from being affected.

Emails

Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) will investigate it.

Text Messages

Forward suspicious text messages to 7726 – it’s FREE.

This will report the message to your mobile phone provider.

Scam Advertisements

Report scam or misleading adverts to the Advertising Standards Authority (https://www.asa.org.uk/make-a-complaint.html). You can report adverts found online, including in search engines, websites or on social media.

You can also:

• report scam or misleading adverts to Google (https://support.google.com/ads/troubleshooter/4578507?rd=2&visit_id=637576133317369597-390444565) if you found them in Google search results.
• report to Bing (https://advertise.bingads.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/policies/report-spam-form) if you found them in Bing search results.

If you think you’ve been a victim of a telephone or online scam or fraud

Contact Action Fraud if you think you’ve lost money or been hacked because of an online scam or fraud and you’re in England or Wales. You can:

• report online (https://reporting.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting) – either sign up for an account or continue as a ‘guest’
• call 0300 123 2040

If you’re in Scotland and you’ve lost money because of an online scam or fraud, report the crime to Police Scotland (https://www.scotland.police.uk/contact-us/).

Suspicious HMRC emails, texts, social media accounts and phone calls

Online

Report a suspicious HMRC phone call (https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/submissions/new-form/report-a-suspicious-hmrc-phone-call)

Use the online form to tell HMRC if you’ve received a phone call you do not think is genuine. You’ll need to give your email address. We may share your email address and phone number with other organisations to close down the scam.

Email

Forward suspicious emails to HMRC’s phishing team: phishing@hmrc.gov.uk

HMRC will only ever email you about a tax rebate or ask for personal or payment information from an email address that ends in hmrc.gov.uk.

We may share your email address and phone number with other organisations to close down the scam.

Suspicious social media accounts

Report suspicious HMRC-related social media accounts and messages to HMRC’s security team: security.custcon@hmrc.gov.uk

HMRC will never use social media to offer a tax rebate or ask for personal or payment information.

We may share your email address and phone number with other organisations to close down the scam.

Suspicious text messages

Forward suspicious text messages to 60599. Text messages will be charged at your network rate.

HMRC will never send notifications of a tax rebate or ask you to disclose personal or payment information by text message. We may share your email address and phone number with other organisations to close down the scam.