Beware of ‘HMRC’ phone scams – Defacto-FD

Beware of ‘HMRC’ phone scams

HMRC phone scams

Beware of ‘HMRC’ phone scams

1024 683 Fiona Purves

Beware of ‘HMRC’ phone scams

HMRC phone scams demanding £1,000s in unpaid taxes on the increase

If like myself, I’m sure most of you have had heard the horror stories revolving the never-ending types of bogus callers & email scammers out there – trying to get their hands on your hard-earned money. Unfortunately, there seems to be no avoiding these fraudsters and these types of scams are continually on the rise. In light of this spike in HMRC phone scams, we thought we would share a recent experience which one of our clients encountered with these such scammers. We are sharing our story in the hope to make more people aware of the type of fraud out there and reduce the risk of any more being taken advantage of – at the hands of these fraudsters. Don’t worry, our experience wasn’t a horror!

 

Our Experience

Despite, having heard a lot about various types of HMRC email scams, recently a client of our own experienced an attempt over the phone. Our client was targeted by these charlatans, posing as the HMRC. Our client received a voicemail demanding £1000’s in tax be paid immediately. Fortunately, our client did not fall into the common panicked frenzy – in which most do. She did not respong to the scammer’s manipulative tactics and instead saught out advice.
 
By using Defacto-FD she knew all affairs regarding tax were up to date and safe. So they immediately knew there was something not quite right and cleverly shared no further personal information. After informing ourselves, we made contact with the so-called ‘HMRC’. Their conversation was extremely evasive, they persistently asked for client details and information – which of course we would not give – their behaviour confirmed their false identity and the conversation was ended.
 
Thankfully, on this occasion, our client’s finances and personal information remained intact – and safely out of the scammers hands. We cannot stop ourselves from being targeted by these fraudulent con artists. But due to our client’s complete trust in our service and management of tax –she potentially avoided a disastrous call.

 

How does the HMRC phone scams work?

These types of tax scams are not a new issue. Yet, HMRC has said they have seen a sharp rise in the number of bogus callers reported in the past six months. One of the most difficult parts of avoiding this type of scam is the platforms on which they work.
 
The tactics they use to extort money are ever-changing, making it difficult to separate the truth from the lies. The most recent tactic being widely reported involves the scammers calling you. The callers claim that you are suspected of tax fraud and or unpaid taxes of up to £1000’s.
 
They demand the victim shares personal details, such as their name & postcode. When challenged, on why this information is required scammers can become quite volatile. Giving elaborate threats involving the police and possible arrests.
 

Things to look out for

  • Watch for an unexplained transaction on your accounts
 
  • HMRC will never demand personal details
 
  • Watch for spoof email addresses, including HMRC in the address these are to mislead you.
 
  • If ever in doubt, do not open emails or answer calls. Hang up and contact your accountant or HMRC directly.
 
For more on how HMRC will and will not contact you check here
 
For more information and help on how to stay a step ahead of the scam; see below our list of useful resources.
 

Useful Resources

 
 
 
  • Copy and paste the email address into Google and see if other people are reporting the phishing scam
 
If you need any further information or advice on the management of your accounts and taxes – contact us here.
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