Is this number a scam? A 6-point checklist
A number on its own rarely proves anything, because numbers can be faked. These six checks together give you a clear answer on what to do.
1. Is the range allocated?
Put the number into the UK number checker. If Ofcom lists its block as free, protected or quarantined, no provider holds it and the caller ID was almost certainly faked.
2. What kind of number is it?
An 070 number looks like a mobile but is a personal forwarding number; 09 is premium rate; 084 and 087 carry a service charge. See UK number types.
3. What does calling back cost?
GOV.UK puts 09 numbers at up to £3.60 a minute plus your provider's access charge, plus 5p to £6 per call. Never call back an 09 or 070 number you do not recognise.
4. What does the message ask you to do?
Tap a link, pay a fee, confirm details, move to WhatsApp, buy vouchers: each is a red flag from official guidance. The scam text checker lists them for you.
5. Is there pressure?
The NCSC names authority, urgency, emotion, scarcity and current events as the tell-tale signs.
6. Can you verify it another way?
Contact the organisation or person on a number you already have. Then report the message: forward texts to 7726; if you lost money, call your bank and Report Fraud.
Sources
- Ofcom numbering data: Ofcom numbering data files S1, S3, S5, S7, S8, S9 (ofcom.org.uk, Download numbering data) as downloaded by Ofcom on 2026-09-04, copied unchanged from the Number::Phone data-files mirror, commit b842859. Ofcom: "We publish data on which UK telephone numbers are available for allocation or are allocated, and aim to update these files every Wednesday." — https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/phone-numbers/numbering-data; mirror: https://github.com/DrHyde/perl-modules-Number-Phone-data-files, read on 2026-09-29
- GOV.UK call costs: GOV.UK, Call charges and phone numbers — https://www.gov.uk/call-charges, read on 2026-09-29
- NCSC, spotting scams: NCSC, How to spot a scam email, text message or call: "Urgency: Are you told you have a limited time to respond (such as 'within 24 hours' or 'immediately')? Criminals often threaten you with fines or other negative consequences." — https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/spot-scams, read on 2026-09-29
- NCSC, forwarding to 7726: NCSC, Report a scam text: "Most phone providers are part of a scheme that allows customers to report suspicious text messages for free by forwarding it to 7726. If you forward a text to 7726, your provider can investigate the origin of the text and arrange to block or ban the sender, if it's found to be malicious." — https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/report-scam-text-message, read on 2026-09-29
Frequently asked questions
- Can a scammer use a real person's number?
- Yes, caller ID can be faked, which is why the number alone is not proof. Judge what the call or text asks you to do.
- The range is allocated. Does that mean it is safe?
- No. It means a provider holds the range. The number can still be spoofed or used by a scammer.
More guides
- What does an unallocated phone number mean?
Ofcom lists every block of UK numbers as allocated, free, protected or quarantined. Why a number in a block no provider holds means a faked caller ID.
- What is Report Fraud? The service that replaced Action Fraud
Since 4 December 2025 fraud and cyber crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is reported to Report Fraud, not Action Fraud. Where, how, and Scotland.
- Why do I keep getting loan texts, and how do I stop them?
The UK rules on marketing texts, what the ICO fined a loan-text firm for in 2026, and the steps that make the texts stop: don't reply, 7726, ICO.
- How to forward a scam text to 7726 (iPhone and Android)
Step by step for iPhone and Android, from the NCSC: what 7726 does with your report, what it costs, and what to do if 7726 does not work.
Last updated 2026-09-29. Independent information service. Number data from Ofcom shows the original range holder; numbers can be ported or spoofed. Not affiliated with Ofcom, the FCA, the ICO or any police service.