How to report a scammer's phone number

If you receive a suspicious call, the safest response is to hang up without giving any information, even your name, date of birth, or a "yes" answer to a recorded question. If you receive a suspicious text, do not reply, click any link, or call the number back. Scammers sometimes use missed calls or one-ring calls to lure people into calling a premium-rate number back, and replying to a text confirms your number is active and in use, which can lead to more messages.

If the message pressures you toward a phone conversation and asks for codes, PINs or remote access to your device, it overlaps with voice phishing (vishing), and the same don't-engage rule applies: never call back on the number the caller or text gave you. If you need to check whether a call is genuine, look up the organization's number independently on its official website or a past statement.

In the United Kingdom, most mobile providers support a free shortcode, 7726, that lets you forward a suspicious text directly to your carrier for investigation; on an iPhone you press and hold the message, tap "More," select it, then forward it to 7726, and on Android you press and hold the message, tap the three-dot menu, choose "Forward," and send it to 7726. The same 7726 shortcode can also be used to report a scam call: open your recent calls, select the number, and copy or share it in a text sent to 7726, which is free and alerts your provider to investigate and potentially block the number.

UK mobile industry body Mobile UK confirms the same free-of-charge 7726 process for forwarding scam texts, and separately notes that scam emails should instead be forwarded to the organization they claim to be from. In the United States, several carriers also participate in a 7726 ("SPAM") reporting scheme for forwarding unwanted or suspicious text messages; if forwarding to 7726 does not work on your device or carrier, check your provider's own support pages for how it wants scam texts and calls reported, since implementation can vary by carrier and country.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) runs ReportFraud.ftc.gov, where you can report a scam call, text or unwanted contact; the FTC states it cannot resolve individual reports but shares them with a network of law enforcement partners who use them to spot patterns and investigate. The FTC also publishes consumer guidance on recognizing and reporting spam text messages.

Separately, the National Do Not Call Registry (DoNotCall.gov) lets you register your home or mobile number to reduce legitimate telemarketing calls, but the FTC is explicit that the registry does not block calls and will not stop calls from scammers who are already breaking the law; it only tells legitimate telemarketers which numbers not to call. If you get an illegal or scam call, the FTC's advice is to hang up and report the call directly to ReportFraud.ftc.gov rather than relying on Do Not Call registration alone.

For scam calls in the UK, forward suspicious numbers to 7726, and if you have lost money or been hacked, report to Action Fraud (reportfraud.police.uk) or call 0300 123 2040; in Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101. Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, publishes consumer guidance on scam calls and texts, including a warning that caller ID can be "spoofed" so a call can appear to come from your bank, HMRC, a delivery company or even Ofcom itself when it is really from a criminal. Ofcom's own advice also flags that numbers starting with certain prefixes (070, 076, 084, 087, 090, 091, 118 in the UK) can be premium-rate, so calling an unfamiliar number back can itself be costly.

For scam text messages specifically, forward them to 7726 or to report@phishing.gov.uk, which is monitored by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC); a screenshot or screen recording of the text can be sent to that address if forwarding via 7726 does not work.

In Australia, Scamwatch (operated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) accepts reports of scam calls and messages through an online form at scamwatch.gov.au, and notes that its reports help identify patterns and warn the community, though it does not resolve individual cases itself. Scamwatch also warns that scam calls can still reach you even if your number is unlisted or registered on the Do Not Call Register. If you have lost money or had personal information stolen, Australia's cyber.gov.au guidance recommends contacting your bank immediately and filing a report through ReportCyber.

In Germany, the Bundesnetzagentur (the federal network agency) handles complaints about misused phone numbers and publishes warnings about current scam-call campaigns, including calls impersonating police officers or bank employees to pressure people into transferring money or handing over cash. If your country is not listed here, search for your national telecoms regulator or consumer-protection agency, since most maintain a dedicated channel for reporting misused phone numbers.

Whether or not a formal reporting channel is available in your country, keep a record of:

• The exact phone number displayed, including country code, even if you suspect it is spoofed.
• The date and time of the call or text.
• A screenshot of the text message, or notes on exactly what the caller said, including any organization they claimed to represent.
• Any name, employee ID, case number or callback number the caller gave you.
• Whether you clicked a link, shared information, or made a payment, and if so, what was shared or sent.

This record is useful even if the number itself turns out to be a burner or spoofed line, since the pattern (script, timing, requested payment method) can help your carrier, bank or a fraud-reporting body connect your report to others.

Caller ID spoofing lets a caller display any number they choose, including one that looks local to you or matches a real organization's published line. Ofcom describes this as "number spoofing" and warns that a call can appear to come from a bank, tax authority, delivery company or even the regulator itself while actually originating from a scammer. This means blocking the displayed number may stop that specific call pattern but will not necessarily stop the same operator from calling again under a different spoofed number. Text sender IDs can be similarly forged to appear as short alphanumeric names resembling a bank or delivery company.

Because of spoofing, reporting a number is best treated as reporting a pattern of behavior, not as identifying a specific individual. Carriers and regulators use volume and pattern data across many reports to detect and block abusive traffic, rather than acting on a single reported number in isolation.

After reporting, block the number on your phone to stop further contact from that specific line. Most phones and carriers also offer spam-call warnings or filtering features; these can help but are not always accurate, so treat any warning as one signal among several rather than a guarantee. If you already shared financial details or made a payment, contact your bank or card provider immediately to flag the transaction, in addition to reporting the call or text itself.

Report to the police, or to your country's dedicated fraud-reporting channel, if you lost money, shared banking or identity credentials, were threatened, or believe you are the target of an ongoing scam campaign rather than a one-off nuisance call. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland this is Action Fraud; in Scotland it is Police Scotland; in the US it is typically your local police plus a report to the FTC or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center for online-enabled fraud. If you are in immediate danger or the call included direct threats, contact your local emergency number rather than a non-emergency fraud channel.

Fraudpol accepts reports of individuals or groups that include a phone number used in the scam contact, alongside other identifiers such as a name, message content, or payment details, and reviews each submission manually rather than by automated matching. Fraudpol does not recover money, never charges a fee to attempt recovery, and never contacts victims unsolicited asking for payment. Fraudpol is not a government agency or law enforcement body, and does not promise that a number will be blocked, an account banned, or anyone arrested; where a case is substantiated, it can be referred on for further action, but filing with Fraudpol does not replace a report to your carrier, bank, or the police.

If you can identify the person or group behind the calls or texts, you can report a scammer. If you need to formally involve law enforcement, see our guide on how to report a scammer to the police.

Last checked: September 2026.

• FTC — ReportFraud.ftc.gov
• FTC — National Do Not Call Registry FAQs
• FTC — How to Recognize and Report Spam Text Messages
• Ofcom — What to do about a scam call, text or message
• Ofcom — How to protect yourself from scam calls and texts
• Ofcom — Types of scam calls, texts and messages
• NCSC — Report a scam text
• NCSC — Report a scam phone call
• Mobile UK — Protect against fraud
• Scamwatch — Report a scam
• Scamwatch — Phone scams
• cyber.gov.au — Recognise and report scams
• Bundesnetzagentur — Ärger mit Rufnummern und Anrufen