Why does the call sound so convincing?

Scammers use caller-ID spoofing to make the number on your phone look like a real police line, including 101. They often have names of real officers (taken from local news), real-sounding crime reference numbers, and a calm, professional manner. None of that is proof. The only way to verify a police call is to hang up and ring 101 yourself.

My parent has been told not to discuss the call with anyone — is that ever genuine?

No. Genuine police investigations don't work by silencing witnesses on the phone. "Don't tell your family", "don't tell the bank staff why you're withdrawing the money", "this is confidential" — these phrases are scam tells. If you hear them, hang up.

What should I do if my relative has just handed money over to a fake officer?

Phone the bank on 159 immediately, then report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. If a courier collected cash or a bank card, also call 101 to report it to the local police. Don't delete voicemails, texts, or call logs — they're evidence.

National Crime Agency scam calls: how the law-enforcement impersonation works

A scammer phones claiming to be from the National Crime Agency, the police fraud squad, or another investigator, and pressures the victim to 'help with an investigation' by moving money, withdrawing cash, or handing over bank details. Genuine UK law-enforcement agencies never make calls like this. This guide explains the scripted variants of the law-enforcement impersonation scam, why the calls feel so authentic, and what to do if a relative has just had one.

How the law-enforcement impersonation scam works

The scam has several scripted variants but the structure is always the same: a person in authority calls, raises a scary story, and tells the victim to take a specific financial action to “help.”

The common variants

“You’ve been a victim of identity theft.”The caller says criminals have used the victim’s details and the NCA needs help tracing them. The “help” involves moving money or sharing banking access.
“A member of bank staff has been arrested.”The caller says the victim’s bank branch is corrupt and they’ve been chosen to participate in a sting — usually by withdrawing money in marked notes so the investigators can trace where it goes.
“Counterfeit notes are in circulation.”The victim is told to withdraw cash so the NCA can examine the bank’s notes for counterfeits. A courier collects the cash.
“Your name has come up in an investigation.” The caller implies that unless the victim cooperates immediately, they will be questioned or arrested. Cooperation always involves money.

Why the calls feel real

Three things make law-enforcement scam calls especially convincing:

Caller-ID spoofing.The number on your phone can be made to look like 101, the local police station, or even 999. None of that is proof of anything. UK telecoms are slowly rolling out anti-spoofing measures but they don’t yet block every spoofed call.
Real names and details.Scammers research real officers (often from local news) and use their names. If you Google the name during the call, it checks out. That doesn’t mean the person on the line is actually them.
Calm authority.The scammer is calm, professional, and doesn’t pressure for money in the first thirty seconds. They build trust. The pressure comes later, framed as urgency, not aggression.

The red flags, written for an elderly relative

UK police never phone members of the public for help with an active investigation in this way. If a caller asks you to participate, they’re a scammer.
Real police never ask you to withdraw money, transfer money, hand over cash, or hand over a bank card. Ever. There are no exceptions.
Real police never tell you to keep the call confidential from your family or from the bank.
The number on the screen is not proof. Hang up and dial back on a number you trust yourself.
If you feel rushed, it’s a scam. Real officers will wait while you verify.

If a suspect call is happening right now

Hang up.You don’t owe the caller an explanation.
Wait at least five minutes before dialling out from the same line. Older landlines can keep a line open after a hang-up, letting the scammer answer your outgoing call.
Ring 101(non-emergency police) from a mobile, or use a neighbour’s phone. Ask them to verify whether the call was genuine.
Ring your bank on 159 if any banking details were discussed.
If a courier is on the way and you feel unsafe, ring 999. Do not open the door.

If money, cash, or details have already been handed over

Bank first. Phone the bank on 159 or the number on the back of the card. Same-day faster payments can sometimes be recalled within minutes.
Action Fraud. 0300 123 2040 or actionfraud.police.uk. Keep the crime reference number.
Local police on 101 if a courier physically collected cash or a card — this becomes a doorstep crime as well as a fraud.
Tell the family even if you’re embarrassed. Scam victims are commonly added to sucker lists traded between criminal groups, and repeat-targeting follows. The family needs to be ready for follow-up calls.
Keep all evidence. Voicemails, texts, call logs, photographs of any courier.

How Zivlo helps with police-impersonation scams

This is the exact scenario Zivlo was built for. The whole point of an impersonation scam is to get the victim alone on a call with a stranger and keep them there. Zivlo breaks that isolation: when an unknown number rings a protected person, up to three nominated family guardians are alerted on their own phones in real time. Guardians can silently listen in, join the call to challenge the caller, or end the call instantly. The caller and the protected person both hear a short notice that the call is being monitored — and a fake officer who hears that almost always hangs up immediately.

Trusted numbers — the real police if they’ve been in contact, the GP, family — can be added to a SafeList so guardians aren’t alerted for routine calls. The protected person doesn’t lose any independence.

See Will it work for me? for device and forwarding requirements, or get started to set up an account for a relative.

Useful UK numbers to keep written down

101 — Non-emergency police.
999 — Emergency police, only if someone is at the door or you feel unsafe.
159— Stop Scams UK. Connects to your bank’s fraud team.
0300 123 2040 — Action Fraud.
National Crime Agency contact page — the NCA do not phone the public, but if you need to verify a claim, their contact details are on their own site.

Frequently asked questions

Would the National Crime Agency or police ever phone you and ask for help with a fraud investigation?: No. The National Crime Agency, the police, and the bank fraud squads do not phone members of the public out of the blue and ask them to "help with an investigation" by moving money, withdrawing cash, or buying gift cards. Any caller doing that is a scammer. UK police investigations are not conducted that way.
Why does the call sound so convincing?: Scammers use caller-ID spoofing to make the number on your phone look like a real police line, including 101. They often have names of real officers (taken from local news), real-sounding crime reference numbers, and a calm, professional manner. None of that is proof. The only way to verify a police call is to hang up and ring 101 yourself.
My parent has been told not to discuss the call with anyone — is that ever genuine?: No. Genuine police investigations don't work by silencing witnesses on the phone. "Don't tell your family", "don't tell the bank staff why you're withdrawing the money", "this is confidential" — these phrases are scam tells. If you hear them, hang up.
What should I do if my relative has just handed money over to a fake officer?: Phone the bank on 159 immediately, then report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. If a courier collected cash or a bank card, also call 101 to report it to the local police. Don't delete voicemails, texts, or call logs — they're evidence.