Fraudsters impersonate bpha housing association to charge tenants for fake repair and maintenance work
Impersonating: bpha (housing association impersonation)
What is this scam?
bpha issued a scam alert on 26 August 2026 after receiving reports of fraudsters falsely claiming to represent the housing association, contacting residents by phone or doorstep visit to request payment for repair or maintenance work. The scam targets social housing tenants who may be expecting maintenance visits, exploiting trust in their landlord. bpha confirms it never requests payment from tenants for repair or maintenance work, and genuine contractors always carry photo ID and never request cash or bank transfers on arrival.
Example scam message
Caller: 'Hello, I'm calling on behalf of bpha. We have you scheduled for urgent boiler maintenance this week. Due to new safety regulations, there is a £65 inspection fee that must be paid before we can attend — can you pay by bank transfer or card now?' [bpha never charges tenants for repairs or maintenance — hang up and call bpha directly on 0330 100 0272 to verify any contact]
Red flags to look out for
- The message creates urgency — threatening a fine, missed delivery, or account closure.
- Links lead to unofficial domains that don't match the real company's website.
- You weren't expecting this message and can't verify the event it references.
- It asks you to confirm payment details or personal information via a link.
- The sender's number or email address doesn't match the company's official contact.
What to do if you receive this
- Do not click links or call numbers provided in the message.
- Contact the organisation directly using details from their official GOV.UK page.
- Forward the message to 7726 or email report@phishing.gov.uk.
- Report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk.
Received this message?
Forward it to 7726 (free on all UK networks) to report it to your mobile provider.
You can also report it to Action Fraud
or email the NCSC at report@phishing.gov.uk.
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