The warning highlights how criminals continue to use convincing stories involving banks, police, government departments and service providers. According to Lloyds Banking Group, the figures are based on scams reported by its customers between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026, compared with the same period in the previous year.
Fraudsters Use Trusted Organisations to Pressure Victims
Impersonation scams often begin with a phone call, text message, email or social media contact. Criminals present themselves as representatives from recognised organisations and attempt to create a sense of urgency, encouraging people to act before checking whether the request is genuine.
In some bank impersonation scams, victims are told that their money is at risk and are instructed to transfer funds into a so-called “safe account”. Some criminals also claim that the victim’s own bank is connected to fraudulent activity and coach them to provide false explanations if contacted by real bank employees.
According to Lloyds Bank, some cases have resulted in significant financial losses. One victim, an 85-year-old woman, lost £188,000 after being persuaded to buy gold on eight occasions over five months. The gold was collected by a person she believed was an undercover police officer involved in an investigation.
The overall number of impersonation scam cases reported to Lloyds fell by 3% over the past year. The bank said reports involving specific types of impersonation, including criminals pretending to be banks, police officers, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and broadband or mobile providers, had risen.
HMRC and Provider Scams Add to Growing Fraud Concerns
Different impersonation methods target people through different stories. HMRC scams often involve messages claiming that a person is due a tax refund, with victims encouraged to click links and enter personal or financial information.
According to Lloyds Bank, people who fell victim to HMRC impersonation scams lost an average of £2,288 over the past year. Broadband and mobile provider scams usually involve claims about bills, contracts or internet connections before criminals request payment details or personal information. The average loss for these scams was £1,169.
Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds, said criminals often use situations where people may already be thinking about their finances. She said fraudsters use stories about account problems, refunds or urgent payments to push people into making quick decisions.
“A scam message is designed to rush you. It will make you feel you need to act straight away or keep things secret,” Ziegler said.
The bank advised anyone unsure about a call claiming to come from a bank, police force or another organisation to end the conversation and contact the organisation directly using a trusted number. The latest figures show that impersonation scams remain a significant challenge, with criminals continuing to rely on familiar names and urgent requests to persuade victims to hand over money or personal details.
