Email scams, especially phishing, are designed to trick you into sharing personal or financial details. Here’s how to stay safe.
If you're not sure an email is genuine, don’t click links or open attachments—delete it straight away. Never give out your account or bank details.
How to spot a scam email
- Check the sender’s address – does it match the official domain?
- Look for generic greetings like Dear Customer instead of your name.
- Watch for urgency or threats (e.g. act now or your account will be closed).
- Poor spelling, grammar, or formatting are common red flags.
- Hover over links (without clicking) to see the real destination.
- Be suspicious of unexpected attachments or invoices.
What to do if you receive a suspicious email
- Don’t click links or open attachments.
- Don’t reply or provide any personal details.
- Forward the email to report@phishing.gov.uk (Suspicious Email Reporting Service).
- Forward to phishing@bt.com so we can investigate.
- Delete the email from your inbox and trash folder.
If you clicked a link or shared details
- Run a full antivirus scan on your device.
- Change your BT password and any others that are the same.
- If you entered banking details, contact your bank immediately.
- Stay alert for unusual activity on your accounts.
Review the latest scams at bt.com/help/security/scams.
If you’ve lost money or been hacked, report it to Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and internet crime.
Extra protection tips
- Turn on BT Web Protect and BT Virus Protect.
- Enable two-step verification (2SV) on essential accounts.
- Keep your browser and operating system up to date.
- Use strong, unique passwords for every account.