Display information can be manipulated
Caller ID, sender names and email display names may be spoofed or chosen to resemble a genuine source.
Technology, platforms and channels
Is this text, email or call a scam?
Calls, texts and emails can display a familiar name, number, address or message thread without proving who is in control. Judge the request and verify it outside the contact.
Page P-003Guidance pageReviewed 29 August 2026
Key Guidance
Do not reply, press a key, call the supplied number or use the link while unsure. Open the genuine service yourself or contact the person or organisation through details you already trust.
Start with Key Guidance for the short answer. Then read the sections that match what happened and what you need to do.
Guided route 1
Something I found or received worries me
Current position: Step 2 of 4 — Check the contact. Read the guides in the order shown.
Understand the issue
Why this matters to you
Communication systems are designed to make contact feel continuous and recognisable. Sender information helps organise messages, but it is not a guarantee of present identity or authority.
A genuine account can be compromised
The message may arrive from a real mailbox or account after someone else gained access.
Threads can create borrowed trust
Some deceptive texts may appear beside genuine earlier messages, making the latest request feel pre-verified.
Conversation creates pressure
A live caller can answer objections, increase urgency and prevent the pause needed for independent checking.
Consequences and movement
What may happen next
Examine what the communication wants you to do and whether the route keeps you under the sender’s control.
Click or open
A link or attachment may lead to a false login, misleading website or malicious software.
Reply or disclose
The sender may seek identity details, security codes, passwords or information that supports a later approach.
Call or transfer
A callback number or transferred call can continue the same false conversation.
Pay or approve
The contact may lead to a bank transfer, card payment, gift card, cryptocurrency purchase or account approval.
Practical response
What you should do
The display may be uncertain, but the protective action is clear: stop using the supplied route and begin a new one independently.
- End the live contactHang up or stop replying. You do not need to resolve the claim inside the conversation.
- Do not use supplied links or numbersOpen a saved app, type the known website or use a number from a trusted record.
- Confirm the exact requestAsk the real organisation or person whether they sent this message and requested this action.
- Report the channelForward suspicious texts to 7726 where supported, forward suspicious emails to the national reporting address and use the provider’s blocking tools.
- Secure anything disclosedChange affected sign-in details, tell the bank about payment or card details, and review account sessions and recovery settings.
- Keep useful evidencePreserve the number, email headers, message, link, payment details and time for the provider or fraud report.
Look more closely
A familiar channel does not authenticate the sender
A message can arrive in an existing thread or display a recognised address or number. Verify the claimed event and requested action through a separate route rather than using the contact itself as proof.
A ring, notification or familiar thread demands attention.
Urgency, curiosity, fear, reward or an expected task keeps the contact active.
Names, numbers, addresses, voices and message history imitate a trusted source.
The sender directs the reply, callback, link, transfer or payment.
Ending the contact and starting a separate route removes the sender’s control.
Selected history
Historical cases and lasting lessons
Caller-ID spoofing
Scam calls may display a number chosen to resemble a bank, public body or local caller.
Lasting lesson: The number shown is not reliable evidence of who made the call.
Phishing across several channels
The same campaign can begin by email, continue by phone and end on a website or messaging service.
Lasting lesson: Changing channel does not create an independent check when the original sender controls the move.
Transferable understanding
Patterns over time
Familiar presentation reduces doubt
A known sender name or existing thread can make an unusual request feel routine.
Channel switching can imitate verification
A follow-up call or email may seem to confirm the first contact while remaining part of the same operation.
Small replies reveal engagement
Even without payment, a reply can confirm that the address or number is active and that the subject created interest.
The safe route begins outside the contact
Independent verification is defined by who chose and controls the new route.
Plain-language answers
Common questions
Can a scam text appear in a genuine message thread?
Yes. Sender presentation and threading do not guarantee the identity behind the latest message.
Can a scammer make a real number appear on caller ID?
Yes. Caller ID can be spoofed, so use an independently found contact route.
Is it safe to reply STOP?
Use provider or official unsubscribe controls only when you trust the sender. With a suspicious message, reporting and blocking avoids further engagement.
What if I only answered the call?
If you disclosed nothing and followed no instruction, end the contact, block or report it if appropriate, and remain alert for follow-up.
Report the message, then address any consequence
Channel reporting helps providers act on suspicious traffic. Contact the bank or account provider at once when money, sign-in details, software or access were involved.
Scamology Insights
Interpret the request without trusting the display
These learning resources can help you look beyond a familiar number, address or message thread and check who is really controlling the contact. Links are intentionally withheld in this production version.
Guided route 1 · Step 2 of 4
Continue your route
The next guide follows directly from this one.
Continue understanding
Explore related guidance
Evidence and currency