Fake Police Scams on SMS / Text
Scam texts impersonate police, alleging warrants or fines, to push recipients toward fake payment pages or a scripted phone line that demands money.
Part of: Fake Police Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
A scam police text compresses fear into a single line: an outstanding warrant, an unpaid fine, a case requiring your immediate response. The brevity of SMS works in the scammer's favour, leaving no room for the details that would expose the lie and every reason to react before thinking.
Police do not issue warrants or collect fines through text-message links. SMS appeals to scammers because sender IDs can be spoofed to read like an official body and a single tap on the link opens a convincing but fraudulent page or connects you to a 'duty officer' running a script.
How this scam works on SMS / text
The text states that a warrant has been issued, a fine is overdue, or you must call a number about a 'criminal matter'. A link may lead to a cloned page asking for identity and payment details, or you may be told to phone the included number at once.
If you call, a scripted 'officer' confirms the fabricated charge and pressures you to pay a fine, post bail, or move money to a 'safe account', often insisting you stay on the line and tell no one.
The whole sequence is built to keep you isolated and rushing, so you act on the threat before you can verify it through the real police.
Common red flags
- A text claims a warrant or fine is outstanding against you
- You are told to call a number urgently about a 'criminal matter'
- A link leads to a page requesting identity and payment details
- The caller demands a fine, bail, or transfer to a 'safe account'
- You are told to stay on the line and not contact anyone
- The sender ID is spoofed to resemble a police force
How to protect yourself
- Do not tap links or call numbers in unsolicited 'police' texts
- Know that police never collect fines or bail via text or 'safe accounts'
- Hang up and call your local police on a publicly listed number to verify
- Never share identity or bank details in reply to a text
- Delete the message and block the number
- Forward the text to your country's spam-reporting shortcode if available
How to report it
- Forward the text to your national smishing or spam reporting number where available
- Report the impersonation to your local police non-emergency line
- File a report with your local fraud or cybercrime reporting service
Frequently asked questions
The text shows the police force's name as the sender — is it real?
Sender names are easily spoofed and prove nothing. Police do not send warrants or fines by text. Ignore the link and number, and verify any concern by calling your local police on an official number.