Immediate danger to life: call 999 or 112.

UK Ready is an independent information site. Current official instructions for your area take priority over this general guidance.

Cyber disruption, misinformation, payments and scams

Sources checked 13 October 2026

Action summary

1. Find the original source rather than relying on a screenshot.
2. Check the date, affected place and whether it is a test or an actual instruction.
3. Verify through the relevant official service where possible.
4. Distinguish a confirmed event from a forecast, investigation or unverified report.
5. Do not share the claim as fact if verification is missing.

Power and cyber incidents can interrupt banking, card terminals, booking systems, healthcare portals and communications. A failed card payment does not establish a national cyberattack. Check the service provider's official status and keep the household's immediate physical needs in view.

UK Ready recommends keeping important documents and contact details accessible offline and, where affordable, a modest amount of cash in useful denominations stored securely. Cash cannot guarantee an open shop or available supplies. Avoid withdrawing money in a panic or broadcasting what you have stored.

Before disruption: Secure key accounts using the current NCSC advice and your provider's recommended authentication. Keep a safe account-recovery method and offline copies of necessary contact details. Do not store account passwords in a public emergency plan or share authentication codes with someone claiming to coordinate emergency aid.

During an incident: Be cautious about messages requesting payment for evacuation, urgent supply delivery, an account unlock or a 'safe' replacement bank account. Use a known number, official app or a website address you entered independently. Do not let urgency bypass verification.

For suspicious messages, GOV.UK identifies report@phishing.gov.uk for emails and 7726 for texts. If money or account access has been lost, contact your bank or service provider through a trusted channel immediately and use current official reporting routes. UK Ready should not embed an outdated fraud-service name without checking it.

Checking an alarming claim

1. Find the original source rather than relying on a screenshot.
2. Check the date, affected place and whether it is a test or an actual instruction.
3. Verify through the relevant official service where possible.
4. Distinguish a confirmed event from a forecast, investigation or unverified report.
5. Do not share the claim as fact if verification is missing.

Threat levels, attack predictions, casualty counts, contamination maps and restoration times must not be generated from this knowledge pack. Keep live updates in a separate, time-stamped system using verified sources, and clearly show when it is unavailable or stale.

Sources

• UK Government Be Ready: Get prepared for emergencies
• Department of Health and Social Care and the four UK Chief Medical Officers: Public health advice from UK CMOs during a national power outage
• UK Government: How emergency alerts work
• UK Government Be Ready: Phone and broadband outages
• UK Government and National Cyber Security Centre: Avoid and report internet scams and phishing
• National Cyber Security Centre: Phishing scams how to spot and report them

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