Fraud & Impersonation
Fake scam-help websites: how to check who is behind them
Check who runs a website offering scam help, spot misleading claims, and know what to do if you have shared details or paid an unverified service.
What happened?
Choose the next safe step: check a suspicious message, or start recovery steps if you paid or shared details.
I have a suspicious messageCheck a message
Paste it and get one of four plain-English verdicts in seconds. Nothing you paste is stored by Beat the Scam.
- Likely a scam
- Possibly a scam
- Probably legitimate
- Unclear
I paid or shared detailsStart recovery steps
The steps in order — bank, accounts, reporting. Do not wait for a police report before contacting your bank.
Free UK guidance. No account needed.
Independent educational guidance · How we fact-check · Not a substitute for your bank, card provider or the police
Verify independently
Find the organisation’s contact details yourself. Do not use the link, phone number, QR code or payment details in the message.
Look up a scam
Search a company name, wording or scam type. To check one message, choose “Check a message” above.
How did they contact you?
Choose a contact method or payment request. Each guide has warning signs, safe checks and next steps.
Four checks before you act
- Pause
Scammers use urgency and secrecy. Take a moment before you act.
- Use an official route
Open the official site or app yourself. Call published numbers, not the ones in the message.
- Keep codes and payment details private
A security code can authorise an action. Treat it like a password.
- Stop before sending money
Check bank transfer and crypto payments especially carefully.
Recent scam examples
Use these when a pattern looks familiar.
Social Media Scams
Snapchat Scam UK: Fake Messages & Impersonation
Snapchat scams range from fake account-verification messages to romance fraud and money-flipping schemes. How to spot them and report them in the UK.
Payment Scams
Chargeback Scam UK: How Chargeback Fraud Works and How to Avoid It
Chargeback scams let a buyer keep the goods and claim their money back, leaving the seller out of pocket. How chargeback fraud works and how to avoid it.
The scale of UK fraud
Our own dataset, refreshed quarterly. Every figure is dated and linked to the body that published it.
Almost £1.3 billionTotal UK payment fraud losses
4.06 million casesTotal confirmed payment fraud cases