"Your National Insurance number will be suspended for fraudulent activity" — a call from a robot voice
A robotic call claims your NI number is suspended for fraud. Press 1 to speak to a case officer. The person threatens arrest unless you pay a fine or transfer money to a "safe account". HMRC and the DWP never suspend NI numbers.
Also known as: fake DWP call, National Insurance number scam, HMRC arrest warrant call, robotic NI suspension call, press-1 tax scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Hang up. Do not press any number. Simply pressing 1 confirms your line is active and puts you on a re-target list
- 2 Your National Insurance number cannot be 'suspended' — HMRC and the DWP have confirmed this in official warnings
- 3 If you're worried about your tax, check your personal tax account at https://www.gov.uk/personal-tax-account — type the URL yourself
- 4 For benefits queries, contact the DWP on the number printed on any official letter you have, not a number given over the phone
- 5 Never provide your NI number, bank details, or move money in response to any unsolicited call
- 6 Register with the Telephone Preference Service at https://www.tpsonline.org.uk to reduce cold calls (won't stop scam calls, but reduces legitimate marketing)
- 7 Report to Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
Red flags
- ⚠ A robotic or heavily-accented voice announces your NI number has been suspended and asks you to 'press 1' — no UK government body communicates this way
- ⚠ Threats of arrest, fine, or deportation if you don't cooperate immediately
- ⚠ The caller asks for your full NI number, date of birth, and address 'to verify your identity' — HMRC and the DWP already have this and would not ask over the phone
- ⚠ You are told to withdraw cash and convert it to gift cards, Bitcoin, or hand it to a courier as a 'security bond' while your case is 'investigated'
- ⚠ The caller claims you have unpaid tax, unpaid Council Tax, or unclaimed benefits — real communications about these come by post, not by phone
- ⚠ Caller ID shows a UK landline (usually 020 London or 0161 Manchester) — this is spoofed and can be any number
Known variants
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'Immigration status suspended' variant: same script, targeting international students, EU-settled-status holders, and recent migrants — the fake caller claims to be from the Home Office and threatens deportation. Payment demanded as 'immigration bond'.
Last seen: 4/10/2026
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'Council Tax refund / owed' variant: caller says you're owed a Council Tax refund and needs your bank details, OR that you owe Council Tax and bailiffs are on the way unless you pay by gift card. Neither refunds nor debt collection ever start with a phone call.
Last seen: 5/15/2026