Action Fraud

Action Fraud is the UK's national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre, hosted by the City of London Police under contract with the Home Office. Members of the public and businesses can report fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. The centre operates 24 hours a day for online reports; phone lines operate during business hours. Reports are passed to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), which analyses them and routes actionable intelligence to relevant police forces for investigation.

Action Fraud does not investigate individual cases directly; it functions as a data collection and triage centre. This means that not every report will result in a police investigation. The NFIB uses reported data to identify patterns, link related crimes, and build intelligence packages targeting prolific fraudsters. The more complete and accurate the information provided, the more useful the report is to intelligence analysts.

Consumers should report to Action Fraud even if they only suspect they have been targeted and did not lose money, and even if they have already reported to their bank. Include dates, amounts, contact details used by the fraudster, and any reference numbers provided by your bank. After reporting, you will receive a Crime Reference Number (CRN) which is useful for insurance claims and credit bureau notifications. Action Fraud is also the point of contact for reports involving computer viruses, ransomware, and online account compromises.