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What to do if…
an official investigator contacts you and demands you keep it secret

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Pause before giving details, sending documents, meeting, or answering questions. Verify who they are through an independent official route, and keep the option of speaking to a solicitor.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t treat “confidential” or “secret” as proof that the person is genuine.
  • Don’t give banking details, passwords, copies of documents, security codes, or remote access to a device.
  • Don’t click unexpected links, open unexpected attachments, or install anything for the “investigation”.
  • Don’t agree to meet immediately or in a private place chosen under pressure.
  • Don’t promise not to tell a solicitor; treat that as a reason to pause and get advice.
  • Don’t delete messages, call logs, emails, voicemails, or letters because someone told you to keep the contact confidential.

What to do now

  1. Limit the conversation to identity and purpose. Ask for their full name, role, organisation, office location, reference number, and a way to verify them. Say: “I’m not refusing to speak. I’m going to verify your identity first.”

  2. End the call or pause the exchange before you verify. Use a phone number or contact route you find yourself from an official website, not a link or number in the message. If the contact came by phone and you are unsure, use a different phone if you can, or wait several minutes before calling out.

  3. If they claim to be police, use an official police route. For non-emergency verification, call 101 or use your local force’s official contact page. If you feel in immediate danger, call 999.

  4. If they claim to be from the National Crime Agency or another specialist body, verify through that body’s official contact route. For an NCA claim, use the NCA officer verification page. For any other agency, use the main official website and ask to verify the person and reference number.

  5. If they are in person, ask for ID and slow the situation down. A police officer should be able to show a warrant card. You can ask how to verify them through 101, the force control room, or the agency’s main contact route before continuing a conversation.

  6. Set a clear boundary on the confidentiality demand. You can say: “I won’t discuss this widely, but I will speak to a solicitor. If there is a legal restriction, please put it in writing.”

  7. Ask what your position is before answering questions. Ask: “Am I being treated as a witness, a suspect, or something else?” If they will not say, or if you are asked for a statement, interview, meeting, or written account, pause and get legal advice before giving a detailed account.

  8. If you may be at risk, speak to a solicitor early. If you are questioned at a police station, you generally have the right to free legal advice, though the route can vary across the UK. If you are in prison, ask staff for the recognised legal call or visit route and say you need to verify the investigator’s identity and speak to a solicitor before any interview.

  9. Keep a simple record. Write down the date and time, the name and organisation given, the numbers or email addresses used, what they asked for, what you disclosed, and what you used to verify them. Keep emails, letters, voicemails, screenshots, and call logs.

  10. Switch to fraud-safety steps if money, secrecy, or device access is involved. Be especially cautious if they demand money, tell you to move funds, threaten arrest unless you act immediately, ask you to hide it from your bank or solicitor, or ask for remote access. If you are in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and suspect fraud or cyber crime, report it through Report Fraud. If you are in Scotland, use 101 for non-emergency fraud reporting.

What can wait

  • You don’t need to decide now whether to fully cooperate.
  • You don’t need to give a full statement during the first contact.
  • You don’t need to explain your whole situation before identity is verified.
  • You don’t need to meet until you know who they are, where the meeting is, and whether you need a solicitor first.
  • You don’t need to solve whether the contact is real or fake in one rushed call.

Important reassurance

It is reasonable to slow down when someone uses authority, urgency, and secrecy. Verifying identity and getting advice does not automatically make you uncooperative.

Scope note

These are first steps only. Later decisions may need specialist help, especially if you are a witness, victim, suspect, prisoner, employee, regulated professional, or subject to a specific legal restriction.

Important note

This is general information for immediate harm-reduction, not legal, financial, medical, therapeutic, or other professional advice. If you may face arrest, prosecution, disciplinary action, immigration consequences, prison consequences, or serious personal risk, get advice from a qualified solicitor or appropriate professional as soon as you can.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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