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What to do if…
you receive an urgent message about a potential supervision breach and a deadline to respond today

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

Short answer

Do not click links or give personal, bank, or login details from the message. Verify it through contact details you already trust, then respond today through an official route if it is genuine.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t click links, download attachments, scan QR codes, or open files from the message until you have verified it separately.
  • Don’t call a number in the message unless it matches contact details you already trust.
  • Don’t send money, bank details, passwords, one-time codes, or ID photos because of a “respond today” threat.
  • Don’t reply with a long explanation, admissions, or guesses about what happened before you know who you are speaking to.
  • Don’t ignore it if there is a realistic chance it is genuine.

What to do now

  1. Save the message before doing anything else. Take screenshots showing the sender, number or email address, links, wording, and the time and date received. Do not delete the message yet.

  2. Check your own supervision paperwork. Look for your licence, community order, appointment letter, release paperwork, previous emails, or saved contact details for your supervising officer, probation contact, or justice social work contact.

  3. Verify through a trusted route, not through the message.

    • England and Wales: contact your supervising officer or probation contact using details you already have, or use the official GOV.UK Probation Service and local probation office routes.
    • Scotland: contact the supervising social worker or justice social work contact shown on your order paperwork, or your local council justice social work contact.
    • Northern Ireland: contact your supervising officer or the Probation Board for Northern Ireland using official contact details.

  4. When you reach the trusted contact, keep it simple. Say: “I received an urgent message today saying I may be in breach of supervision conditions. Please confirm whether it is genuine, what condition is being referred to, and what you need me to do today.”

  5. If the message is confirmed as genuine, respond today through the official channel you verified. Ask what is required now: a call, attendance, proof of contact, an appointment time, or specific information. Keep your reply factual and short.

  6. If the message looks suspicious, treat it as a possible scam. Warning signs include a demand for money, bank details, passwords, one-time codes, ID photos, unusual links, pressure to act within hours, or wording that does not match previous official contact.

  7. Report a suspicious text without using its links. Forward suspicious texts to 7726. If you lost money, shared details, or were hacked after responding, report it through Report Fraud if you are in England, Wales or Northern Ireland; if you are in Scotland, contact Police Scotland.

  8. If you clicked a link, paid money, or shared details, limit the damage now. Contact your bank or payment provider immediately, change any reused passwords from a safe device, and keep screenshots, receipts, and account messages.

  9. If police ask to speak to you today, ask for the basics before answering detailed questions. Ask who is requesting contact, where they want you to go, whether it is voluntary, and whether you are being questioned at a police station. If you are questioned at a police station, you have the right to free legal advice.

  10. If there is immediate danger, call 999. If it is urgent but not an emergency, call 101.

What can wait

  • You do not need to write a full statement right now.
  • You do not need to argue your case in the first reply.
  • You do not need to gather every document before verifying the message.
  • You do not need to decide now whether to complain about how the message was sent.
  • You do not need to assume immediate recall or arrest based only on one unverified message.

Important reassurance

A “respond today” message can feel frightening because it creates pressure. Verifying the sender through a route you already trust is not ignoring the message; it is the safest way to avoid both a missed genuine instruction and a scam.

Scope note

These are first steps only: verify whether the message is genuine, avoid unsafe replies, and make a short same-day response if needed. Later decisions may depend on your order, licence conditions, the alleged breach, and specialist legal advice.

Important note

This is general information, not legal advice, medical advice, financial advice, therapeutic advice, or professional advice. If you are unsure what to say, or you are being asked detailed questions about a possible breach or offence, consider getting legal advice before answering in detail.

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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