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Who Dialled

Guides

What to do after an unexpected call

Each guide answers one question, starting with the short answer. Every fact comes from an official source, footnoted in the margin.

  1. 01Where to report a scam or nuisance call in the UKWhich official service deals with which call: 7726, Report Fraud, Police Scotland, the ICO, Ofcom, the TPS and HMRC, with the numbers and links to use.
  2. 02A missed call from a number you don’t know: should you call back?Why some scam calls ring once and hang up, which number ranges cost the most to call back, and what to do if you have already been charged.
  3. 03Someone says they are calling from your bank: how to checkHang up, call 159 or the number on your card. What banks never ask for on the phone, and what to do if you have already paid.
  4. 04Calls claiming to be from HMRC: how to tell, and where to report themHow HMRC says it contacts people, its list of genuine contacts, and the official ways to report a suspicious HMRC call, text or email.
  5. 05Can a caller fake their number? Caller ID spoofing explainedWhy the number on your screen proves nothing, what UK phone companies now block, and how to check a call that looks genuine.
  6. 06070 and 076 numbers: not mobiles, and costly to call backWhat personal numbers and radiopaging numbers are, what they cost to call, and why Ofcom says not to call them back if you do not recognise them.
  7. 07Who calls from 0300, 0333 or 0345 numbers? What 03 numbers areWhat the different 03 numbers are for, the rule that they cost no more than a landline call, and which phone companies hold the most 0333 and 0345 blocks.
  8. 08How to block unwanted calls on a UK mobile or landlineBlocking on iPhone and Android, what EE, O2, Vodafone and Three offer, landline options, and what the Telephone Preference Service does and does not stop.