Phone number spoofing in the UK: what it is, how scammers use it, and how to protect your home

If your phone rings and the screen shows a number you recognise, you would be forgiven for trusting it. That is exactly what scammers are counting on. This week, even a police force had its own number faked, and the warning that followed is worth reading if you or someone you love relies on a home phone.

The good news is that phone number spoofing is easier to see through than the scammers would like. Here is what happened, what it is, and what you can do today.

What happened: the police number spoofing scam in Northern Ireland

A member of the public in Northern Ireland answered a call that appeared, right there on the screen, to come from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) switchboard. The caller claimed to be an officer and said there was an investigation linked to the person’s name involving money transfers to “narcotic-related countries”. They then asked for the person’s bank card details.

When that did not work, the caller asked them to buy gift cards and read out the codes, claiming this was “part of the investigation process” and that the money would be returned. The person became suspicious, shared nothing, and hung up.

The PSNI later confirmed its number had been spoofed and that no real officer had made the call. Inspector Walker described it as “a very concerning situation” and urged the public to stay alert. You can read the full report on The Register.

The reassuring part: the person trusted their instincts and lost nothing. That instinct is something we can all sharpen.

What is phone number spoofing?

Phone number spoofing is when a scammer fakes the number that shows up on your caller display. In plain terms, the number on your screen is not always real.

Using internet-based calling, criminals can make a call appear to come from almost any number they like: the police, your bank, HMRC, a parcel company, or a normal-looking local number. It costs them very little and takes seconds. The number is a disguise, nothing more.

This is why “it showed the right number, so I trusted it” is no longer a safe rule. Caller display was never designed to prove who is really on the line.

Who do scammers target?

Spoofing can reach anyone, but criminals lean towards people they think are more likely to pick up and to trust a familiar-looking number. That often means older adults, people who rely on a home landline, and anyone raised to respect a call that appears to come from authority.

According to Ofcom, 42% of phone users said they had received a suspicious call in the three months to February 2025. So if your phone has been ringing with odd calls, you are very far from alone, and there is nothing foolish about being caught off guard by a number that looked completely real.

If you are reading this because you are worried about a parent or grandparent, that care is the right instinct. A few minutes sharing the red flags below could save them real distress.

Red flags to watch for

Scammers using spoofed numbers tend to follow a pattern. If a call includes any of these, treat it as suspicious, however convincing the caller sounds:

• A request to pay using gift cards or vouchers. No real bank, police force or government body will ever ask for this.
• Pressure and urgency, such as “you must act now” or “your account is at risk this minute”.
• A request for your bank details, PIN, passwords or one-time codes.
• Being told to move your money “to a safe account”. Real banks never do this.
• Being asked to keep the call secret, or “don’t tell anyone, not even the bank”.

A real organisation will never mind you hanging up and calling them back on a number you trust.

What you can do right now to stop spoofed calls

You do not need to be technical to protect yourself. These steps help:

1. If a call feels wrong, hang up. You are allowed to end any call, and you owe a cold caller nothing.
2. Never share bank details, passwords or codes with someone who called you.
3. Check independently. Hang up, wait a few minutes, then call the organisation back on the number printed on your card, statement or official website. Use a different phone if you can.
4. Never pay by gift card. It is a near-certain sign of a scam.
5. Report it. Contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or forward suspicious texts to 7726. If you have lost money, call your bank straight away too.
6. Talk about it. Share these signs with older relatives. Agreeing a simple family rule (“we always hang up and call back”) takes the pressure off in the moment.
7. Consider call protection that blocks scams before the phone even rings.

How CallGuard works, and how it differs from the TPS

Many people assume the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) keeps them safe, so it is worth knowing what it does and does not do. The TPS is a free register that stops legitimate UK companies making marketing calls to you. But criminals ignore it. They are already breaking the law, so a “do not call” list means nothing to them, and it cannot help when a number has been spoofed.

This is the gap CallGuard was built to close. It is Phonely’s own scam-blocking service for digital landlines, and it works in layers:

• Auto call blocking that updates fast. Many providers refresh their block lists from third parties only once a month. Because scammers can change their digits within hours, we update our auto-block list within the hour of a number being reported, and add commonly blocked numbers daily.
• An anti-fraud introduction. Before a caller is connected, they hear a message explaining that the call is recorded and monitored for your protection. Many scammers simply hang up.
• A trusted person at your side. If you answer a call from a withheld or international number, a nominated family member or friend can be alerted within minutes, and can even join the call to help you end it.

CallGuard has been put into the hands of real people through our work with Greater Manchester Police and Friends Against Scams, part of National Trading Standards. It is protection for your UK landline that does the worrying for you, so you can answer the phone with confidence again.

If you are also weighing up your home phone ahead of the BT digital switchover, it is worth seeing how Phonely compares as a BT alternative.

Protect your landline today

Protect your landline with CallGuard: police-endorsed scam blocking from £14.98 a month, with a free adapter included so you can keep your current phone.

See CallGuard plans

A suspicious call can shake anyone. With the right protection in place, you can pick up the phone knowing the scammers have already been shown the door.