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Thread: Another HMRC scam

  1. #1
    Administrator swanbourne's Avatar
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    Another HMRC scam

    Answered the phone yesterday and it was an automated message with computer generated voice.

    "This is a call from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to inform you that an investigation has been started in your name for tax fraud.

    Press 1 to speak to the case officer, if you do not press 1 a warrant will be issued in your name and you will be arrested shortly."

    I'm sure that if you did press 1 you would be invited to give your credit card and/or bank details and shortly have all your money taken.

    HMRC do not make calls of this nature but I'm sure some people do get taken in.

    The number was 03002246889.

    Eddie
    Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".

  2. #2
    Master TKH's Avatar
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    My Mother in Law who was widowed 6 years ago and is god fearing and vulnerable got the same call and was terrified we drove over to calm and comfort her and assure her its just ‘bad people’ trying to deceive her .....but she kept saying yes but i must owe money ?

    I can see these calls giving people heart attacks caused by dreadful vermin who pray on vulnerable.

    Pity they cannot be traced and prosecuted

  3. #3
    Master
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    Same call Eddie. Gives you a bit of a jolt at first but once it sinks in, the scam is actually quite laughable.

    Sadly there will be a lot of people caught in that first moment of shock and terror who go through to the payment line.

  4. #4
    Is there a way of reporting these to the police?

  5. #5
    Craftsman
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    SWMBO got the very same call this morning, I answered and hung up. So obviously a scam but if one in a thousand fall for it they're quids in.

  6. #6
    I keep getting the BT tech one and boilers scams. Someone claims to be from BT saying your internet is going to get cut off if you don't pay X amount.

    They phone a bunch a numbers at the same time and I believe at least for the ones I have seen your voice seems to activate a trip that puts you through to one of the scam operators. It saves them time and is more efficient.

    Also they will target people who they believe are "suckers"

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Holsterman View Post
    Is there a way of reporting these to the police?
    Our police don’t bother with crimes here committed in India where it’s probably not a crime to steal from people, all the people who call me telling me I had a car accident etc are Indians. I always say “yes I did” then let them waffle on before saying either I have amnesia or that I died, the length of the pause before they hang up has a direct correlation to their IQ
    Last edited by adrianw; 26th October 2019 at 13:31.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Holsterman View Post
    Is there a way of reporting these to the police?
    I've reported various scams to the HMRC:
    https://www.gov.uk/report-suspicious...one-call-scams

  9. #9
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by adrianw View Post
    Our police don’t bother with crimes here committed in India where it’s probably not a crime to steal from people, all the people who call me telling me I had a car accident etc are Indians. I always say “yes I did” then let them waffle on before saying either I have amnesia or that I died, the length of the pause before they hang up has a direct correlation to their IQ
    I had one last night, talked to her about how I drove my Ferrari into my Lambo which in turn hit the Aston & I lost a leg in the accident. She hung up.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

  10. #10
    I ask them to hold then give them a blast from the smoke alarm.

  11. #11
    I’ve had this and I did press 1 and a Asian lady started asking me questions,which she should of known the answers to ,then she hung up


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  12. #12
    Craftsman
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    My mum had this last year. Luckily I sort out her tax returns so she told me. I heard one of the follow up voicemails and it was shocking, but I can see how the vulnerable can be reeled in.

  13. #13
    My Mother’s had these, been going on for years.

  14. #14
    Master KavKav's Avatar
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    It is important to be aware that if you get one of these scam calls and you are asked to press any button on your phone or ring ANY number, or give ANY personal information, even your name, do NOT do any of that, just hang up.

  15. #15
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by mk1974 View Post
    I’ve had this and I did press 1 and a Asian lady started asking me questions,which she should of known the answers to ,then she hung up


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    I would just do a quick check on your phone bill for charges on the day of the call.

    B

  16. #16
    Grand Master
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    Most will call my mobile,there are only 2 people who ever call my house phone,my Brother and Mum,all other calls are ignored.Not everyone can/will ignore calls as I do,what I haven't listened to can't have me worrying,not that it would if I did,I don't have anything out there in the big world to be concerned about in a phone call.

    I think/hope the next generation of elderly people ( Myself inc) won't fall for it as readily as those nowadays,simply because we are more aware of it thru the media and other sources that the elderly today don't use as we do.Sadly because of this I think our age group will be targeted on a personal level when we are at that vulnerable age more so than now.


  17. #17
    Master mr noble's Avatar
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    BT do a system call call guardian (I think) that filters out any numbers that aren’t in its memory. All other numbers go to a kind of voicemail where the caller is asked to say their name and reason for calling. The persons telephone only rings if the caller’s number is in the contacts list or if the caller states their name, then when you answer the phone to someone not in your contacts list you hear them say who they are and press a button if you want to speak to them or hang up if you don’t.

    It’s a bit of a faff for genuine callers who aren’t in the list, but is brilliant for sorting out the scammers.

    Well worth it for older/vulnerable folks.

  18. #18
    Grand Master TaketheCannoli's Avatar
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    Wife started getting these this week. They’ve been quite clever in that they’ve set themselves up with 0300 numbers and HMRC has an 03000 network. We’re just blocking each number and hoping they stop.

  19. #19
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by mr noble View Post
    BT do a system call call guardian (I think) that filters out any numbers that aren’t in its memory. All other numbers go to a kind of voicemail where the caller is asked to say their name and reason for calling. The persons telephone only rings if the caller’s number is in the contacts list or if the caller states their name, then when you answer the phone to someone not in your contacts list you hear them say who they are and press a button if you want to speak to them or hang up if you don’t.

    It’s a bit of a faff for genuine callers who aren’t in the list, but is brilliant for sorting out the scammers.

    Well worth it for older/vulnerable folks.
    We have one of these phones and the stupids calls dropped to practically zero, unknown calls on the mobile usually get left to ring*out although occasionally I answer the with “Peter’s pizza, what can I get you?” that throws off usually.
    * I then block the number.

  20. #20
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by adrianw View Post
    Our police don’t bother with crimes here committed in India where it’s probably not a crime to steal from people, all the people who call me telling me I had a car accident etc are Indians. I always say “yes I did” then let them waffle on before saying either I have amnesia or that I died, the length of the pause before they hang up has a direct correlation to their IQ
    You must have a great ear for accents to tie it down to a particular county!
    And yes, I believe theft is illegal in India.

    I, like most, are blighted by similar calls - mainly that my IP address has been hacked, electricity providers and card processing firms. I usually simply hang up.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave O'Sullivan View Post
    You must have a great ear for accents to tie it down to a particular county!
    And yes, I believe theft is illegal in India.

    I, like most, are blighted by similar calls - mainly that my IP address has been hacked, electricity providers and card processing firms. I usually simply hang up.
    And I have also had the HMRC one a couple of times.

  21. #21
    They phoned me on Viber


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by adrianw View Post
    Our police don’t bother with crimes here committed in India where it’s probably not a crime to steal from people, all the people who call me telling me I had a car accident etc are Indians. I always say “yes I did” then let them waffle on before saying either I have amnesia or that I died, the length of the pause before they hang up has a direct correlation to their IQ
    Try the Indian police.

  23. #23
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    My mum gets these as well as fake gas/phone/electricity demands, and most recently fake police.

    It is something of a relief to note that she has learned to quickly recognise scam calls and actually ends the call, rather than engaging with them.

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