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Do not rely on a badge, letterhead, caller ID, email name, or convincing story to authenticate a police notice. Stop responding and contact the police department or agency named in it through contact details you find independently on its official website or at an official station. Ask whether it sent the notice and whether the named officer and reference are real.
Verify the notice through an independent contact route
- Pause and do not act on the demand. Ignore countdowns, secrecy demands, threats, or instructions to pay money for “verification.” Do not share banking information, passwords, one-time codes, identity documents, or remote-access permissions while the contact is unverified.
- Keep the original communication. Save the document or message, email headers if available, screenshots, phone numbers, URLs, envelope, reference number, and any payment details. Do not click a suspicious link or treat it as safe by forwarding it. India’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal lists emails, URLs, chat transcripts, screenshots, transaction receipts, bank statements, and envelopes as possible evidence: portal evidence guidance.
- Identify the agency that supposedly sent it. Find its official website yourself and use a published contact channel, or visit an official police station. Do not use a phone number, email address, QR code, link, or payment portal supplied only in the suspicious contact. Caller IDs and names can be spoofed, and fake credentials can look convincing, according to the FBI.
- Ask the agency to confirm the details. Ask whether it sent the notice, whether the named officer works there, and whether the reference number exists. Singapore Police specifically advises contacting the department that sent a police-letterhead document to verify its authenticity: Singapore Police advisory.
- End contact and report suspected impersonation if it cannot be verified. Use your local police or official cybercrime-reporting service—not a route supplied by the sender. If you already paid or disclosed account information, contact your financial institution promptly and report it to local law enforcement. The FBI recommends stopping contact, notifying financial institutions, and contacting local law enforcement: FBI guidance.
Distinguish a complaint acknowledgement from a separate police notice
If you filed a complaint, check its status by logging in to the official portal you used and following that portal’s own tracking process. India’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal says reports submitted through its options receive a reference number by SMS and email and can be tracked using the acknowledgement number: National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. A reference can help confirm the portal submission process; it does not authenticate every separate document or later message someone sends.
Warning signs are reasons to verify, not proof by themselves
Impersonators may use spoofed numbers or names, fake credentials, aggressive urgency, or pressure you not to speak with family or a bank. Be especially cautious of demands to pay by prepaid card, wire, cash, or cryptocurrency. The FBI states: “NO legitimate law enforcement or government official will request payment via prepaid cards or cryptocurrency ATM.” This warning is not a substitute for checking with the agency through an independently found channel.
India’s National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit has warned about impersonators posing as police or other government bodies, including “digital arrest” threats. That describes a scam tactic; it does not establish whether an individual notice is genuine or fake: National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
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Local details matter. Singapore Police advises residents not to disclose personal or bank details to callers or transfer funds at the request of someone they have not met in person. A 2025 Singapore government advisory also points residents to ScamShield to check suspicious messages, phone numbers, and links: Singapore Police advisory and Singapore government advisory. Singapore-specific practices should not be treated as universal rules.
Pakistan National CERT has reported phishing emails impersonating law enforcement and falsely accusing recipients of cybercrime. Its guidance about email domains is specific to Pakistan; it is not a universal test for authenticating police email: Pakistan National CERT advisories.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose the right reporting route for your location and urgency
Use the official police or cybercrime channel relevant to the place named in the notice and to your own location. A national reporting portal may not handle every local police matter. For example, the UK’s Report Fraud service covers England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, while Scotland cases are directed to Police Scotland. Report Fraud also says to contact local police for emergencies or crimes happening now: Report Fraud and what to do next.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11India’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal says complaints are handled by the relevant State or Union Territory police based on the selection made during reporting. If a crime is happening now or someone faces immediate danger, use the local emergency police route rather than relying on a routine web form.
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