084 and 087 service numbers Premium cost
084 and 087 are 'service numbers'. You should not normally receive calls FROM them (they are numbers you call), so a call displaying one is unusual. If you are asked to call an 084/087 number back, be aware it can cost more than a standard call.
Just had a call? Check if it was legal →Answer a few questions and get a verdict, the right regulator to report it to, and a ready-to-send complaint.What 084 / 087 numbers are
084 and 087 numbers carry a 'Service Charge' (set by the organisation) on top of your phone company's 'Access Charge'. They are dial-in customer lines, not typically outbound caller IDs.
Who calls from 084 / 087 numbers
- Rarely a legitimate inbound caller — these are call-in numbers
- Scam set-ups that ask you to 'call back' a costly line
How scammers use 084 / 087 numbers
Be suspicious of any message or call that urges you to ring an 084/087 (or 09) number 'to secure your account' or 'claim a refund'. Legitimate banks and government bodies use 03 or freephone 0800 numbers, not premium-rate call-backs.
Cost warning. Calling an 084/087 number costs a Service Charge (up to 7p/min for 084 and up to 13p/min for 087) plus your provider's Access Charge — often more than a normal call.
Why the number on your screen isn’t proof
The single most important thing to know about any incoming call is this: the number you see can be faked. Through a technique called “spoofing”, a caller can make almost any number appear on your display — a bank’s real 0800 line, a local landline, even your own number. So the caller ID is a hint, never proof of identity.
Ofcom now requires phone networks to block many overseas calls that fake a UK landline number, and rules to block spoofed UK mobile numbers are on the way — but gaps remain. Until then, judge a call on what it asks you to do, not on the number it shows.
What to do when one of these calls comes in
- Never share security details — passwords, PINs, one-time codes or card numbers — on a call you did not start.
- If it claims to be your bank, HMRC or a company you use, hang up and call them back on a number from your card, statement or their official website.
- Don’t be rushed. Pressure to act “right now” is the most reliable scam signal.
- If money is involved, dial 159 to reach your bank safely; call 999 if you feel in danger.
Cut future nuisance calls
- Register free with the Telephone Preference Service — it becomes unlawful for UK companies to make live marketing calls to you after 28 days.
- Turn on your network’s free call protection — BT Call Protect, Sky Talk Shield, EE Scam Guard, and the O2 / Vodafone / Three apps screen known nuisance callers before your phone rings.
Where to report a bad call
- A marketing or recorded sales call → the ICO.
- A silent or abandoned call → Ofcom.
- A scam → Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 (Police Scotland 101).
Not sure which applies? The Cold-Call Checker works it out for you and writes the complaint.
Other kinds of number
Often legitimate
Often legitimate
Mixed
Higher risk
Higher risk
Higher risk
Higher risk
Mixed
Sources
This is general guidance about a type of phone number, not a claim about any specific number or caller, and not legal advice. Number rules and costs are current as of the date above and can change.