Put safety first
Do not confront anyone if you feel at risk. Call 999 if a crime is happening, someone is in immediate danger or urgent help is needed.
Practical support
You do not have to deal with it alone
If a trader has deceived you, taken money without completing the agreed work, threatened you or left work unsafe, take things one step at a time. Your immediate safety comes first, followed by protecting your money and preserving the evidence.
TradeWatch can record what happened, help you identify the appropriate reporting route and signpost further support. Reporting a concern may also help local authorities and other organisations protect people from similar harm.
First steps
What to do now
Contact your payment provider
If money, card details or bank access may be at risk, use the official number for your bank or payment provider and ask what protective steps are available.
Preserve the evidence
Keep quotes, contracts, invoices, payment records, messages, photographs, names, telephone numbers and company details. Do not delete the original files.
Write a clear timeline
Note what was agreed, what happened, the dates of payments and contact, and what you have already done. This makes the situation easier to explain.
Keep contact in writing
If it is safe to contact the trader, explain the problem and the outcome you want in writing. Keep copies and avoid agreeing to further payments under pressure.
Secure your accounts
Change passwords that may have been shared or exposed, starting with your email and banking accounts, and turn on two-step verification where available.
Reporting routes
Report it to the right organisation
More than one organisation may need to know. A TradeWatch report does not replace an official report to the police, Report Fraud or Citizens Advice.
- 1
Tell TradeWatch
Share what happened through our contact page. Our reporting team records concerns and works closely with local authorities to investigate reports.
- 2
Report fraud or cyber crime
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, use Report Fraud or call 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101.
- 3
Get consumer advice
The Citizens Advice consumer service can explain your options and pass relevant information to Trading Standards.
- 4
Contact the police
Call 999 in an emergency. For a non-emergency crime, contact your local police online or call 101.
- 5
Speak to your bank or payment provider
Report the payment promptly and ask what protections or recovery routes may apply. The options depend on how you paid and the circumstances.
- 6
Escalate a financial complaint correctly
If you are unhappy with how a regulated financial business handled your complaint, complain to that business first. The Financial Ombudsman Service may then be able to review its response.
TradeWatch support
How we can help
Record your report
We can take the details of the trader, the work, payments and contact so there is a clear record of your concern.
Identify the next route
We can help you distinguish between a consumer dispute, suspected fraud, an immediate safety issue and a complaint about a financial provider.
Work with local authorities
Our reporting team works closely with local authorities to investigate reports and share relevant information through the appropriate channels.
Connect you with expertise
TradeWatch works alongside legal and financial experts who offer free advice to people affected by trade-related crime.
Signpost trusted organisations
We partner with Citizens Advice and the Financial Ombudsman Service and can direct you to the service that fits your situation.
Help protect others
Information about patterns, businesses and methods can support warnings, education and appropriate action by relevant organisations.
Payment disputes
Use the right route for financial complaints
Your bank, card issuer or payment provider should be your first contact about a payment. Explain clearly what happened and ask what protection or recovery process may apply; a refund or chargeback cannot be guaranteed.
The Financial Ombudsman Service considers complaints about financial businesses, such as how a bank handled a fraud or scam complaint. It does not resolve the underlying workmanship dispute with a trader. You normally need to complain to the financial business first and give it the opportunity to respond.
Trusted help
Official reporting and advice services
Use official websites and telephone numbers, particularly if someone contacts you unexpectedly claiming they can recover your money.
Report FraudReport fraud and cyber crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Police.ukFind the appropriate route for reporting to the police
Citizens Advice consumer serviceFree, impartial help with a consumer problem
Report to Trading StandardsSend information through the Citizens Advice consumer service
Financial Ombudsman ServiceHelp with an unresolved complaint about a financial business
CrimestoppersGive information about crime anonymously
Talk to us
Tell TradeWatch what happened
Share as much as you safely can. We will help you understand the next appropriate step and point you towards further support.
TradeWatch is not the police, a regulator, a law firm or a financial adviser. Contacting us does not replace an official report and we cannot guarantee an investigation, recovery of money or a particular outcome. This page is general guidance, not legal or financial advice.