Sussex Police Warns of Scam Calls From Fraudsters Pretending to Be the Cyber Crime Unit
Sussex Police scam alert graphic (Image: Sussex Police)
Sussex Police has warned the public about scam calls from fraudsters who falsely claim to be from the "Sussex Police Cyber Crime Unit". The force says it became aware on Saturday 10 October of scammers contacting members of the public and asking for personal information, including passwords and other sensitive details.
The alert says the caller ID on these calls may appear to show a genuine police phone number, even though the calls are being made from other sources. Police say they will never ask for passwords, bank details or PIN numbers over the phone.
Source: Sussex Police scam alert posted on the Mid Sussex Police Facebook page, 10 October 2026
What Sussex Police said
This is the alert in full, word for word, as Sussex Police published it:
Beware of scam calls from fraudsters falsely claiming to be from the "Sussex Police Cyber Crime Unit".
On Saturday (10 October), we became aware of scammers targeting members of the public and requesting personal information, including passwords and other sensitive details.
It has been reported that the caller ID may appear to show a legitimate police phone number, however, these calls are being made from alternative sources.
Remember: Sussex Police will never ask for your passwords, bank details, PIN numbers or other sensitive financial information over the phone.
These fraudsters may change the name of the police unit they claim to be from, so remain vigilant.
We would like to reassure the public that our phone lines are operating as normal.
If you receive a suspicious call claiming to be from Sussex Police, let us know. You can do this by filling an online reporting form. Alternatively, you can contact us by calling 101.
Sussex Police, 10 October 2026
Where this alert came from
We want to be clear about the source. The alert was not issued as a press release on the main Sussex Police news page, and we could not find it there. It was posted on the Mid Sussex Police Facebook page, which is run by Sussex Police, and it appears on the force's own East Grinstead Town "Your area" page on the Sussex Police website, where the Facebook feed is shown.
Every word in the section above comes from that post. The graphic is the one Sussex Police attached to it. Here is the original:
What the alert tells us about the scam
The alert describes three things scammers are relying on, in the force's own words.
- A believable name. The callers claim to be from the "Sussex Police Cyber Crime Unit", and the force says they may change the name of the unit they claim to be from.
- A believable number. The caller ID may appear to show a legitimate police phone number, but the calls are being made from alternative sources. A number on your screen is not proof of who is calling.
- A request for secrets. The callers ask for personal information, including passwords and other sensitive details.
The force's separate cyber crime advice page makes the same point more widely: your bank, the police and reputable companies will never ask for sensitive or financial details by email, phone or text, and you should never give out personal information, financial details or passwords in response to an unexpected phone call.
What to do if you get one of these calls
Sussex Police asks anyone who gets a suspicious call claiming to be from the force to let it know, using the online reporting form or by calling 101. In an emergency, call 999.
- Do not give out passwords, bank details, PIN numbers or other sensitive financial information over the phone.
- Do not rely on the caller ID. The alert says it may show a genuine police number.
- Report the call to Sussex Police online or on 101.
- If you think you have been scammed or defrauded, contact Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 (textphone 0300 123 2050), or at reportfraud.police.uk.
- If you are being subjected to a live and ongoing cyber attack, the force says to call 101.
More Sussex Police fraud advice this month
The scam alert is not the only fraud warning Sussex Police has posted in October. On the same Facebook feed, the force shared two other messages this week:
Email and social media hacking is the most common form of cyber crime in the UK. Protect your email and social media accounts with a passkey.
Sussex Police, 6 October 2026
Make yourself a harder target for criminals. Avoid sharing personal details that fraudsters could use to perpetrate fraud against you, such as your birthday, where you live, or pet names.
Sussex Police, 8 October 2026
The force's cyber crime advice page sets out the steps in more detail. It says several million cases of fraud and computer misuse are reported to the police every year, and that many could have been prevented by a few small changes in online behaviour. Its advice includes:
- use three unrelated words as a password, for example "fishbooktable", and a different set of three words for each account
- where supported, use passkeys instead of passwords. The force says they protect against common crimes like phishing because there is no password for criminals to steal, and that the NHS, Google, Apple and Microsoft support them
- keep devices, software and apps up to date, with up-to-date anti-virus software and a firewall
- do not open attachments or click links in emails or texts from senders you do not know
- always go to a website directly by typing the address yourself when logging in to an account
- back up your data regularly, in at least one other place
For step-by-step guidance on keeping your devices secure, the page points to Cyber Aware from the National Cyber Security Centre.
What the alert does not say
The alert does not say:
- how many people have received these calls
- which areas of Sussex the calls have come from or been received in, including whether any were received in Brighton and Hove
- what phone number the calls are made from, or which police number shows on the caller ID
- whether anyone has lost money or given away information
ImJustBrighton will update this article if Sussex Police publishes more details.
Sources and further reading
- Sussex Police scam alert on the Mid Sussex Police Facebook page (10 October 2026)
- Sussex Police: East Grinstead Town area page, with the Facebook feed
- Sussex Police: Cyber crime advice
- Report Fraud: the UK national reporting service for fraud and cyber crime
- National Cyber Security Centre: Cyber Aware
- Also reported by our partner Sussex News: Sussex Police issue scam call warning as fraudsters impersonate Cyber Crime Unit
This article is based on the Sussex Police scam alert posted on 10 October 2026 and the force's cyber crime advice page. For more crime and police news, see crime and Sussex Police coverage on ImJustBrighton, or the latest from Brighton and Hove.
