# HMRC, police and bank impersonation scams involving crypto

HMRC, the police, your bank and the FCA will never call demanding immediate payment in crypto, ask you to move funds to a 'safe account' or wallet, or threaten arrest unless you pay today. Anyone doing so is a scammer, however convincing the caller ID or personal details. Hang up and contact the organisation through its official number yourself.

## Key facts
- No UK authority takes payment in crypto or gift cards — a demand for either identifies the scam.
- The 'safe account' or 'safe wallet' does not exist; safeguarding is done by freezing, not moving, funds.
- Caller ID and email addresses are spoofed easily; personal details are often from data breaches.
- Urgency and secrecy — 'do not tell your bank' — are the scam's load-bearing parts.
- Hang up and call back on a number you find independently, ideally from another phone.
- Report attempts to Action Fraud; forward scam texts to 7726.

## The common scripts

HMRC impersonators claim unpaid tax — sometimes 'crypto tax' specifically — with arrest threatened the same day unless paid, increasingly via crypto ATM or transfer to a wallet. Police impersonators recruit you into a fake fraud investigation requiring secrecy and the movement of your savings. Bank security teams report 'suspicious activity' and talk you through transferring to a safe account — theirs. FCA impersonators contact previous crypto scam victims claiming to hold recovered funds that need a release fee. Different badges, one mechanic: fear plus urgency plus an irreversible payment method.
## How the real organisations behave

HMRC pursues debts by letter and through your online tax account, offers time to pay, and never demands crypto. Police never ask civilians to move money as part of investigations. Banks may block a payment or card but will never ask you to transfer funds out to protect them. The FCA does not hold consumer funds. Any deviation from these patterns — whatever the caller knows about you — resolves the question.
## Breaking the spell mid-call

Scammers rehearse objections, so do not debate — hang up. Then wait a few minutes or use a different phone (call-holding tricks can keep a line open) and ring the organisation on a number from its official website, your bank card or a real letter. Tell your bank if any payment was mentioned. Genuine organisations are never offended by verification; scammers depend on preventing it.
## If money already moved

Call your bank's fraud line immediately — transfers can sometimes be recalled and authorised push payment reimbursement rules may apply to bank payments. Crypto sent to a scammer's wallet or through an ATM is rarely recoverable, but report everything to Action Fraud with wallet addresses and receipts: reports build the intelligence that closes these operations, and documentation matters for any bank claim.

## FAQs
### The caller knew my name, address and bank. How, if they are fake?

Data breaches and social media supply exactly these details, and scripts weaponise them for credibility. Knowledge of your details proves data exposure, not authority.
### Does HMRC ever contact people about crypto specifically?

Yes — by letter, including nudge letters about cryptoasset disposals, inviting you to review your position. Letters give reference numbers, never demand same-day crypto payment, and can be verified by calling HMRC's published number.
### What is a crypto ATM scam?

Victims are directed to deposit cash into a crypto ATM and send the crypto to the scammer's wallet, converting cash into an untraceable transfer in minutes. UK crypto ATMs also currently operate without FCA registration — treat any instruction to use one as a scam.

## Sources

- [Action Fraud — report fraud and cybercrime](https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/)
- [FCA ScamSmart](https://www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart)
- [HMRC — identify scam contact](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/identify-hmrc-related-scam-phone-calls-emails-and-text-messages)

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— Digital Assets UK (https://digital-assets.co.uk/scams/impersonation-authority-scams/), reviewed 2026-07-17. Source: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/