Action Fraud replaced by Report Fraud

Action Fraud has been replaced by Report Fraud, according to updated guidance from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) on staying safe from scammers¹. The change is recorded in the page's update history, which lists an entry dated 26 January 2026 reading "Action Fraud has now been replaced by Report Fraud"¹.

The guidance, published by HM Revenue & Customs and last updated 12 March 2026, applies to England and Wales¹. It directs readers to report suspicious calls to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or to use the service's online fraud reporting tool¹. Suspicious emails claiming to be from the VOA should be forwarded to agentstandards@voa.gov.uk¹.

The page sets out a checklist for identifying scam contact by phone, email or text. It says it could be a scam if the contact pressures you into making a decision, has a short deadline, is threatening or unexpected, asks for personal information such as bank details, tells you to transfer money, says you have to pay to apply for or get a relief, says you have unclaimed credits, or offers a discount, refund, rebate or grant¹.

On property contact, the guidance says the VOA will always mention a specific property by its address, give a reference number and verify your identity, and will never contact you without mentioning an address, ask for money without a clear explanation, or tell you what you owe for business rates or Council Tax, because those bills are worked out by your local council¹. It also says the VOA would never recommend or endorse an agent or ask an agent to act as part of, or on behalf of, the VOA¹.

For emails, the guidance says to delete the message from your mailbox including deleted items, not to disclose personal information, open attachments, click links or reply, and to check that an address contains ".gov.uk" before treating it as genuine¹. It says the VOA will never leave a voicemail threatening legal action, threaten arrest, or contact you for immediate payment of penalties or bills, and will never ask for personal or financial information in a text message¹.

Why it matters for households

People in England and Wales who receive suspicious calls, emails or texts about their property, Council Tax band or business rates are now pointed to Report Fraud rather than Action Fraud¹. The reporting route named in the guidance is the phone number 0300 123 2040 or the online fraud reporting tool¹. The page does not state when the replacement took effect beyond the 26 January 2026 update entry, and no information has been reported on what happens to reports already made to Action Fraud or on any change to how cases are handled.

The guidance also draws a line between the VOA and local councils: bills for Council Tax and business rates are worked out by the local council, not the VOA, so contact demanding payment of those bills does not come from the VOA¹. Anyone contacted about a Council Tax band or business rates valuation can use the VOA contact form, and queries about bills go to the local council¹.

What happens next

The page's update history records a 12 March 2026 update described only as "Updated text", following a 26 January 2026 update to the Welsh version and the 26 January 2026 entry noting the replacement of Action Fraud by Report Fraud¹. No further changes have been announced in the guidance. More on spotting and reporting scams is set out in the site's scams and fraud guide.