Impersonation scams are rising, with fraudsters posing as trusted organisations or individuals. Residents are urged to verify all contact and report suspicious activity.
The warning follows incidents in the borough where several residents have reported being targeted by fraudsters. In one report, a resident was contacted by someone pretending to be a “Senior Trading Standards Investigator” from the Chartered Institute of Trading Standards. Another case involved an online investment ad falsely linked to the UK Prime Minister – this was generated using AI. Text messages regarding parking have also been received from fraudsters claiming to be associated with Bromley Council.
Other common impersonations include banks and police, with these scams often being linked to courier fraud. Fraudsters typically reach out via phone calls, texts, emails, or social media. If impersonating a friend or family member, they may claim urgent need for money, gift cards, or help paying bills.
Protect yourself
- Pause before you click or reply. Is it genuine? Verify with someone you trust.
- Your bank or the police will never ask you to transfer money to a “safe account”.
- If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and call the real organisation on a trusted number – ideally from a different phone or after waiting a while.
- Never share one-time passcodes or personal details unless you initiated contact.
- If you are looking for an investment opportunity, check the FCA InvestSmart website first.
Report and information
Contact your bank if you have given your financial details. Call 159 – Stop Scams UK.
Contact Citizens Advice for help and advice on 0808 223 1133 or on the Citizens Advice website.
Report fraud on 0300 123 2040 or on the Report Fraud website.
Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
Report suspicious text messages to your phone provider on 7726.
Report a suspicious website via the National Cyber Security Centre website.
You can also visit the council website for more Trading Standards advice on doorstep crime and scams.
If you have any doubts about someone claiming to be from or associated with the London Borough of Bromley, call 020 8464 3333.
Visit the council website for more information on Bromley Parking Services.
Learn more about how to protect yourself from impersonation fraud on the Take Five – Stop Fraud website.
Learn more about courier fraud on the Report Fraud website.
For more information on the wider ‘scam-scape’, visit the Which? website for an article of the biggest scams of 2025.
For general information about scams in various languages visit the Friends Against Scams website.
Bromley Trading Standards
To keep up with the latest scam alerts and warnings from Bromley Trading Standards sign up on www.bromley.gov.uk/TradingStandardsAlertSignUpForm.
Bromley Trading Standards also runs a fair-trader directory to help you find a safe, reliable trader that you can trust, visit www.bromley.gov.uk/tradingstandardschecked to learn more.