Fraudsters are now stealing an average £3,500 with impersonation scams

Published: 00:48, 24 August 2026 | Updated: 00:57, 24 August 2026 Victims of impersonation scams lost £3,516 on average in the past year – a 10 per cent increase on a year earlier, according to the latest data. Some scams can be much more costly, with one 85-year-old woman losing £188,000 to a police impersonation racket, Lloyds bank said. She was persuaded to make eight purchases of gold across a five-month period. The gold was then collected by someone she believed to be an undercover police officer involved in an investigation. The volume of impersonation scam cases reported to Lloyds fell by 3 per cent over the past year compared with a year earlier, when victims lost an average of £3,200. However, Lloyds said some types of fraud reported to it have increased, including scammers pretending to be banks, police, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), and broadband and mobile providers. The crimes often start with a phone call, text, email or social media message. In police and bank scams, victims may be told their money is at risk and asked to move it to a 'safe account'. Criminals may tell victims their own bank is involved in fraud, then coach them to lie if a genuine member of bank staff asks why they are moving money. Victims of impersonation scams lost £3,516 on average in the past year – a 10 per cent increase on a year earlier HMRC scams can involve messages about tax refunds to persuade people to click on a link and enter financial details, with victims of these scams losing £2,288 on average over the past year. Broadband and mobile provider scams involve claims of issues with a bill, contract or internet connection, before asking for personal details or payment. The average amount lost to these scams was £1,169. Liz Ziegler, a fraud prevention director at Lloyds, said: 'Summer can be an expensive time of year, with many people focused on managing their finances around holidays, family days out and other seasonal costs. 'Fraudsters know money is often at the top of people's minds and use convincing stories about account issues, refunds or urgent payments to pressure people.' She added: 'A scam message is designed to rush you. It will make you feel you need to act straight away or keep things secret.' She said anyone who is unsure about a call claiming to be from a bank, the police or other organisation should end the call and contact the organisation directly. The figures were based on analysis of scams reported by Lloyds Banking Group customers between July 1, 2025, and June 30 this year, compared with July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.