Fraud Fighters
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Is a call from the police about my bank card a scam?

Yes. The police and your bank will never send a courier or a taxi to collect your card, PIN, cash or valuables. In 2025 it cost victims more than £21 million, and most of them were over 75.

Arrives by Phone call. Pretends to be: The police, your bank's fraud team.

How to spot it

Phone callA number that looks like a police station

This is the police. We have arrested a man with your bank card. 1A courier will collect it from you as evidence. 2Please do not tell the bank.

Example: rebuilt from police guidance (Take Five, City of London Police), which describes the arrest, the courier and the secrecy, not the exact words. We blacked out the dark parts.

  1. A courier or a taxi will come to collect it
  2. "Do not tell anyone, not even the bank"
  3. Other signs to watch for
  4. They ask for your PIN or your card
  5. They ask you to withdraw cash or buy gold

How it works

The caller says they are the police or your bank. They say your card has been used, or that someone has been arrested with your details. They ask you to help the investigation: read out your PIN, hand over your card, withdraw cash, or buy gold or jewellery. A courier or a taxi comes to your door to collect it. The caller tells you not to tell anyone. They may stay on the line after you hang up.

What to do

  1. Hang up. Do not give anything to anyone who comes to your door. If someone is at your door, or on their way, call 999.

  2. To check, use a different phone, or wait at least 15 minutes, then dial 159.

  3. If you have lost money, tell your bank now and report it to Report Fraud (reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040) with your screenshots; in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. If someone is coming to your home to collect money or cards, call 999.

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How we know

Other scams