Report a scam email (UK guide)
Forward to report@phishing.gov.uk — NCSC's free Suspicious Email Reporting Service. Step-by-step UK reporting flow plus a free PDF evidence pack with SilentID Pro.
Free download. iOS & Android. UK-first.
Forward the original phishing email (not a screenshot) to report@phishing.gov.uk — that is the National Cyber Security Centre’s Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS). Free, anonymous, takes down the page. If you have clicked, paid or shared details, also report to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 (101 in Scotland) and call your bank fraud team immediately.
NCSC’s Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS)
NCSC launched SERS in 2020 as a single national reporting endpoint for phishing emails (Source: NCSC). Forward any suspicious email — UK retail bank impersonation, HMRC tax rebate, Royal Mail / DPD redelivery, courier surcharge, fake invoice — to report@phishing.gov.uk. NCSC scans every URL in the email and takes down phishing pages. Free, anonymous, no signup.
How to forward a phishing email correctly
NCSC needs the original email — not a screenshot — because the email headers contain routing information that traces back to the sender. Use Forward (not Reply, not Print Screen):
iPhone Mail
Open the email. Tap the arrow icon at the bottom. Choose Forward. Address it to report@phishing.gov.uk. Send. No covering note needed.
Gmail (web or app)
Open the email. Tap the three-dot menu (or click Reply > Forward). Choose Forward. Send to report@phishing.gov.uk.
Outlook / Microsoft 365
Open the email. Use Forward as Attachment if you can find it (Outlook desktop: Home > More > Forward As Attachment) — this preserves the original headers most cleanly. If not, regular Forward also works.
The four UK reporting channels for phishing
- 01
NCSC SERS — first, for the takedown
Forward to report@phishing.gov.uk. NCSC takes the page down. This protects everyone else who would have received the same email.
- 02
Your bank — first, if money moved
Call the number on the back of your card immediately. UK banks have rapid-response fraud lines 24/7.
- 03
Action Fraud — for the police record
actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 (101 in Scotland). Required if you have been a victim — clicked, paid, called or shared details.
- 04
The impersonated brand
HMRC: phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. Royal Mail: scams@royalmail.com. Most UK banks have a phishing@ address — search "[bank name] report phishing".
What to do if you have clicked the link
- Don’t enter anything else. Close the page. Don’t open attachments.
- If you entered card details: call your bank fraud team immediately (number on the back of the card).
- If you entered a password: change it everywhere it’s reused. Switch to a passkey or password manager if possible.
- If you entered a one-time code: assume it’s been used. Lock the relevant accounts and call the institution.
- If you downloaded a file: run a full antivirus scan, consider a system restore, change passwords from a clean device.
- Then report to NCSC, Action Fraud and your bank as above.
The free PDF evidence pack (SilentID Pro)
Each reporting body wants the same evidence in a slightly different format. SilentID Pro’s Report a Scam tool generates a single PDF containing: the original email, the headers, screenshots, transaction records (if you paid), Safety Check verdict and a reporting checklist for NCSC, Action Fraud, your bank and the impersonated brand. Free users can paste any email body or link into Safety Check (3 free checks/day) to get a verdict before deciding what to do.
UK phishing reporting — the numbers
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
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Reviewed by the SilentID editorial team. We update each guide quarterly with new UK fraud data.