Impersonation Fraud: How It Works and What to Do If You've Paid
What is Impersonation Fraud?
Impersonation fraud occurs when a criminal poses as an individual, company, or trusted organisation to trick a victim into sending money or sharing sensitive information. Fraudsters often replicate real branding, names, and credentials to appear legitimate before defrauding their targets.
Criminals frequently impersonate high-profile figures, such as Elon Musk, Keir Starmer, Martin Lewis, Jeremy Clarkson, Nigel Farage, Taylor Swift, Jason Statham, and Jeff Bezos. Scammers may use any well-known individual to build trust and deceive their victims.
Impersonation Fraud vs Identity Fraud
Impersonation fraud and identity fraud are often confused but describe different crimes. Impersonation fraud occurs when a criminal poses as a real or invented person such as a celebrity, bank official, or trusted contact to persuade a victim to send money voluntarily.
Identity fraud, by contrast, involves a criminal using someone's personal details, such as their name, date of birth, or National Insurance number, to open accounts, take out credit, or make purchases without the victim's knowledge or consent.
In impersonation fraud, the victim is deceived into sending money; in identity fraud, the victim's identity is used to gain access to their sensitive information such as bank accounts to steal money, without the victim's knowledge.
Anyone who suspects they are a victim of identity fraud or that their personal details have been misused should report the incident to Cifas and Report Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
Common Types of Impersonation Fraud
Fraudsters use various methods to deceive victims. Below are the most common types of impersonation fraud currently seen in the UK (2026):
Banks
A fraudster poses as a bank's fraud department via phone, text, or email, claiming an account is compromised. The victim is pressured to move funds to a "safe account" or share a one-time passcode (OTP) - requests a genuine bank would never make. These scams often use spoofed caller IDs so the number displayed matches the bank's real customer service line.
The Police
Criminals claim to be police officers, often citing a fake case number, to pressure victims into handing over cash or card details. Some ask victims to withdraw money to "assist an investigation." Police will never ask you to transfer money or hand over bank cards.
HMRC and Government Departments
These scams warn of unpaid tax bills or fake refunds, often threatening legal action. Fraudsters push for immediate payment via bank transfer, vouchers, or cryptocurrency. HMRC does not use phone or text to demand immediate payment or threaten arrest.
Delivery Companies and Couriers
Victims receive messages claiming a parcel has an unpaid fee. The message then directs victims to fake payment pages designed to steal card details, which are then used for further fraud. Common companies impersonated include Evri, Royal Mail, DPD, and Amazon.
Utility and Telecoms Providers
Fraudsters pose as energy or phone providers, warning of service disconnection or offering fake refunds. These scams often target vulnerable individuals using cold calls to create a false sense of urgency.
Friends and Family (the "Hi Mum" scam)
Scammers message victims pretending to be a loved one who has lost their phone. They urgently request a bank transfer for an emergency while insisting on communicating only via text to avoid detection.
Tech Support and Remote Access
Fraudsters claim a victim's device is compromised and guide them to install remote access software. This gives the criminal control over the device to steal banking information. Legitimate companies will never request remote access to your device.
How Criminals Make It Look Real
Criminal tactics are increasingly sophisticated. According to UK Finance, professional criminals stole £1.28 billion in 2025, with over £92.4 million attributed specifically to impersonation fraud.
As we covered in our scammers using AI article, fraudsters have capitalised on the advancements in technology to impersonate an individual, company, or trusted organisation to trick a victim into sending money or sharing sensitive information.
Here are some common ways fraudsters use impersonation fraud:
Number spoofing - Fraudsters use spoofing technology to display a bank's or organisation's real phone number on a victim's screen during a scam call.
Caller ID Manipulation – Caller ID numbers suggest who is calling but should never be used as proof of identity. Scammers can easily choose what number appears on your screen.
Cloned emails - Scam emails copy a genuine company's logo, layout, and sender name, often from a near-identical domain, to pass a quick visual check before directing victims to a fake payment page.
AI voice cloning - Short audio samples from public interviews or videos can now generate convincing fake speech, used to fabricate celebrity endorsements or impersonate family members in urgent calls making voice alone unreliable for verifying identity.
AI Deepfake Ads - Scammers use AI technology to create fake ads, usually showing an investment opportunity. Martin Lewis has regularly been a target of these ads, which led him publishing a statement saying he does not promote any investment or crypto opportunities.
Matching branding - Fraudsters replicate a company's logo, colours, and message format closely, so texts or emails look genuine at a glance and these are most effective when paired with a spoofed number or cloned email address.
Legitimate companies and individuals are a target for fraudsters. Refundee has seen fraudsters clone and impersonate the legitimate Refundee to trick individuals into sending funds to them. It is important to note Refundee would never contact you out of the blue and Refundee would never ask for upfront payments. You can check Refundee’s registered details on the FCA register.
Real Examples of Impersonation Fraud
Whilst impersonation fraud has been prevalent for a number of years, tactics from fraudsters have shifted with trends in global and political news. Fraudsters capitalise on trends in the world and some recent examples of this include:
Nigel Farage & Andrew Bailey - Question Time
Deepfake adverts circulated on X falsely depicting Nigel Farage and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey in a physical confrontation on BBC's Question Time. The fabricated clips led to fake BBC News pages promoting an "AI investment platform"
Martin Lewis - Money Saving Expert
Martin Lewis has described himself as having the "weird accolade" of being the most scammed face in Britain. Martin Lewis is regularly falsely used by fraudsters to advertise crypto or investment platforms. He has since released a statement to warn individuals of this.
Donald Trump
During Super Bowl LX in February 2026, a deepfake video of Donald Trump aired across YouTube and social media, directing viewers to a fraudulent website promising to "double your money" in cryptocurrency.
Elon Musk
Deepfake videos have shown BBC presenters promoting an "Elon Musk investment project." Action Fraud named Musk as one of the top three most impersonated figures in late 2025.
If you do see an ad promoted by a high-profile celebrity above then it is most likely fraudulent, and you should report it to the platform it’s on and report fraud.
Warning Signs of an Impersonation Scam
Urgency or pressure - being told to act immediately, often with threats of account suspension, arrest, or fines
Requests for secrecy - being asked not to tell anyone, especially a bank, family member, or colleague
Unusual payment requests - being asked to transfer money, buy gift cards, or send cryptocurrency
Requests for remote access - being asked to install software or hand over control of a device
Requests for one-time passcodes - a genuine bank or organisation will never ask for a PIN, password, or OTP
Contact from an unexpected number or address - even if the name or number looks familiar, since caller ID and email addresses can be spoofed
Unsolicited contact - being contacted out of the blue by someone claiming to be from a bank, the police, or a government department
Is Impersonation Fraud a Crime in the UK?
Yes, impersonation fraud is a serious criminal offence under the Fraud Act 2006. Pretending to be someone else with the intention of stealing money is a serious crime in the UK, and fraudsters have been sentenced for this previously.
One high-profile case called iSpoof, a site enabling falsified caller IDs, was shut down in 2022 following a Metropolitan Police-led investigation, during which scammers reportedly impersonated major UK banks including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, and NatWest, with reported losses of around £100 million.
What To Do If You've Been Targeted or Have Paid
Cut all contact with the scammer: stop responding to calls, texts, or messages immediately
Do not send any further funds: even if the scammer claims more money is needed to "reverse" the transaction or fees to release a refund
Contact your bank immediately: use the number on the back of your card, not one provided by the scammer, to report the fraud and attempt to freeze or recall the payment
Report it to Report Fraud: the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040
Preserve all evidence: save messages, emails, call logs, and transaction records, as these will support both the bank's investigation and any recovery claim
Explore recovery options: make a claim yourself, or use a specialist firm such as Refundee to claim back your money through UK banking regulations
Can You Get Your Money Back?
In many cases, yes. Victims of impersonation fraud have a strong chance of recovering their funds depending on the circumstances of the claim.
For Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud, victims have protections and since the PSR’s Mandatory Reimbursement Rules were introduced in October 2024, victims now have a legal right to reimbursement.
This was a major shift, and it benefits impersonation scam victims.
Refunding scam victims is now a legal obligation. Most APP fraud victims must be refunded by their bank usually within 5 business days.
Key rules of the Mandatory Reimbursement model:
Covers UK to UK payments via faster payments and retail CHAPS payments
Maximum refund of £85,000 per claim
Banks can deduct an excess of £100 per claim (This does not apply to vulnerable customers)
Victims must report the scam and provide the info promptly
Banks cannot delay claims indefinitely
Applies to individuals, charities and microenterprises
What this means for you: If you were manipulated into transferring money, getting your money back from your bank will likely mean they have to reimburse you, and quickly.
In unauthorised fraud, banks are supposed to refund people by the end of the next business day unless they can show that the customer has been grossly negligent, is acting fraudulently, or authorised the payments.
The burden of proof is on the bank and not the customer to do this, but you need to cooperate fully with the bank's investigation. Gross negligence is a high bar for the bank to prove; however, Refundee has seen many examples of banks incorrectly applying the gross negligence standard to people who were not at fault for what happened.
What If My Bank Rejects My Claim?
If your bank won’t refund you, then you have a legal right to challenge them and escalate your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) exists for this exact reason. The FOS is an independent service brought in by the UK Government to assess whether banks are abiding by their obligations.
Conclusion
Impersonation fraud is one of the most deceptive types of fraud, and professional criminals are becoming more and more convincing in how they operate and trick victims.
If you have been affected, it is important not to blame yourself; there are options for recovery, and Refundee can explain this on a no-win, no-fee basis.
We have recovered over £140 million for our clients so far and we specialise in fraud recovery.
Refundee Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 937096).
More about Refundee
Here are the technical bits:
Refundee Ltd is a claims management company authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of regulated claims management activity FRN: 937096.
Registered with the Information Commissioner's Office; registration number: A8986071.
Registered office address: Refundee, 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE.
Registered as a company in England & Wales; number: 12855931.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
-
AI Deepfake Ads - Scammers use AI technology to create fake ads, usually showing an investment opportunity. Martin Lewis has regularly been a target of these ads, which led him to publish a statement saying he does not promote any investment or crypto opportunities.
-
Yes, impersonation fraud is a serious criminal offence under the Fraud Act 2006. Pretending to be someone else with the intention of stealing money is a serious crime in the UK, and fraudsters have been sentenced for this previously.
-
Yes, impersonation is counted as fraud and scammers regularly impersonate impersonate high-profile figures, such as Elon Musk, Keir Starmer, Martin Lewis, Jeremy Clarkson, Nigel Farage, Taylor Swift, Jason Statham, and Jeff Bezos. Scammers may use any well-known individual to build trust and deceive their victims.
-
Impersonation fraud and identity fraud are often confused but describe different crimes. Impersonation fraud occurs when a criminal poses as a real or invented person such as a celebrity, bank official, or trusted contact to persuade a victim to send money voluntarily. Identity fraud, by contrast, involves a criminal using someone's personal details, such as their name, date of birth, or National Insurance number, to open accounts, take out credit, or make purchases without the victim's knowledge or consent.
Written by Stuart McFadden, Co-Founder at Refundee.
Stuart specialises in banking regulations and crypto fraud recovery, helping victims navigate claims against UK banks that have failed in their duty to protect customers. He has featured regularly in the media discussing fraud and victim rights, including the BBC and ITV.
