Phone Scams: A Guide to Callers Claiming to Be the Police or Your Bank

The phone rings. The voice on the line is serious and official: "This is Detective Sergeant … from the police. Your name has come up in an investigation into money laundering." You can hear radio chatter in the background. A few minutes later the call is "transferred" to someone senior. Then the demand comes: the money in your account must be moved to a safe account "for the investigation", or your cash and jewellery must be handed to a courier "for safekeeping".

Versions of this script are among the most common and most damaging scams in many countries. In the UK it is known as courier fraud; in the US, callers often pose as the police, a federal agency or your bank. And the targets are not only older people; educated, young and careful people fall for it too, because this scam targets not intelligence but fear and trust in authority.

The most important rule

If everyone in the family, especially older relatives, knows this one sentence by heart, most of these scams are prevented.

Common scripts

1. Fake police officer or official

It starts with "Your name has come up in a fraud, drugs or money laundering investigation." The person is told to keep the investigation "confidential" and not tell anyone. They are asked to hand over money or valuables so they can be "examined" or "protected".

2. Fake bank employee

"A suspicious transaction has been made from your account; to cancel it, you need to tell us the code you just received." That code is actually the approval code for a transaction the scammer is making from your account. Sometimes reasons like "we're replacing your card" or "we're restructuring your debt" are used.

3. "Your relative has had an accident" or "has been arrested"

"Your son has had an accident and the other driver is injured; if you send money now, they'll drop the complaint," or "Your daughter is in custody and needs bail money." In a panic, the person sends money without calling their relative. With AI voice imitation, this script can become even more convincing; see our article on AI voice cloning scams.

4. Fake phone company, energy or utility staff

"Your line is about to be cut off", "Your electricity will be disconnected because a bill is unpaid", and immediate payment is demanded. Sometimes personal details or a code for a SIM change are requested.

5. Parcels and customs

"A parcel addressed to you is held at customs and you need to pay duty," followed by a payment link. This script is also very common by text; see our article on SMS and WhatsApp scams.

6. Investments and "guaranteed returns"

High, guaranteed returns are promised on crypto, shares or currency trading. Small gains are shown at first, then a larger investment is requested, and the money can never be withdrawn.

The psychological tactics scammers use

Recognising these tactics is the most effective way to notice the trap:

• Authority: Official titles, badge numbers, radio chatter in the background, a "case number".
• Fear: "You'll be arrested", "Your accounts will be frozen", "Your relative is in danger."
• Urgency: "If you don't do it now…", "Within an hour…" No time is left to think.
• Secrecy: "The investigation is confidential; don't even tell your family." This is to stop you asking someone who could warn you.
• Keeping you on the line: You are stopped from hanging up: "Stay on the line, I'm putting you through to my superior."
• Real information: Knowing your name, address or part of your ID number builds trust. But this information can easily be obtained from data leaks.
• Number spoofing: Your screen may show the police's or your bank's number. Caller numbers can be faked; do not trust the number on the screen.

Warning signs: hang up immediately

End the call if you hear any of these:

• You are asked for money, gold, cash, a password or a verification code over the phone.
• You are told "Don't tell anyone."
• You are asked not to hang up.
• You are asked to move your money to a "safe account" or hand it to an official or a courier.
• You are asked to stay on the phone while going to the bank or a cash machine.
• They frighten you and rush you.

The right response: stop, hang up, verify

1. Stop. However urgent it seems, take a deep breath before doing anything.
2. Hang up. Hanging up is not rude. A genuine official will understand you calling their organisation to check.
3. Verify. Call the organisation yourself on an official number you know (the number on the back of your bank card, for example). Do not call back the number that called you; scammers can keep the line open. If possible, use a different phone. In the UK, you can call 159 to be connected safely to your bank.
4. Talk to someone close to you. Tell a family member or friend what happened. Someone looking from the outside spots the trap much more easily.

What to do if you have been scammed

Do not feel ashamed; you are the victim of a crime, and acting quickly can reduce the losses.

1. Call your bank immediately. Block your cards and ask for the transactions to be stopped or disputed. The faster you are, the greater the chance of stopping the transfer.
2. Change your passwords. Change your online banking, email and other important passwords.
3. Report it to the police. Report it to your local police or national fraud reporting service, taking all the evidence with you: call logs, messages and transfer receipts. In the US you can also report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. If you are in danger, call the emergency number.
4. Keep the evidence. Do not delete the calling numbers, call times, messages or transfer receipts.
5. Warn the people around you. The same scammers may call others close to you.

How to protect older relatives

Older relatives are the most frequent targets of this scam. When you talk to them:

• Explain calmly, without frightening them. Instead of "They'll trick you", say "If you ever get a call like this, call me straight away."
• Role-play the scripts. Practise together: "What would you do if someone called saying they were the police?"
• Give a simple rule: "Anyone who asks for money or valuables over the phone is a scammer."
• Be reachable: Tell them they can always call you and should never worry about disturbing you.
• Remind them regularly: This conversation should not be had once and then forgotten.

For more, see our article on scams targeting older adults.

How technology can help

• Silencing unknown callers: Phones' "silence unknown callers" feature mutes calls from numbers not in the contacts.
• Scam number blocking: Apps that block calls from reported scam numbers can be used.
• Banking limits: Lowering daily transfer limits on older relatives' accounts limits possible losses.

In Koriva, numbers that families report as scams are collected in a shared list; a number only enters the list after being reported from three separate accounts, and is then blocked when it calls a child's or an older relative's phone. Call protection works on Android and iPhone. On Android, the blocked call is reported to the family and also appears in the evening daily summary; the iPhone only blocks the listed number and does not show the call to the app, so no notification goes to the family there.

Conclusion

Phone scams can fool even the most careful people with fear and urgency. But one rule makes most of these traps ineffective: official organisations do not ask for money or passwords over the phone. Stop, hang up and verify it yourself. And share this rule with everyone in your family, especially your older relatives.