Daughter And Hmrc Scam

[chrissa1]

The scammers are still going strong, so this is a warning.

My daughter who is very savvy, took a phone call this afternoon from a very official sounding man saying he was calling about an outstanding tax bill of £4000.00. He said he was from HMRC.

She was alone in the house with just her twins and began to panic. He was threatening that she would be hauled to court and if she lost the case, with her lawyers fees and costs she could lose £40,000.00.

Luckily for her, her mother-law arrived, and after the ensuing barking etc from her Labrador, the guy put his phone down. My daughter was in floods of tears by this point and when she told her MIL what it was all about, she said straightaway that it was a scam.

The guy rang back and was still trying to get information from her, after getting her NI Number but she told him where he could stick his HMRC.

My daughter was totally taken in, so imagine an elderly person taking a phone call like this. It doesn’t bear thinking about.

Beware.

[fiction-factory]

Yes, we have to be so careful I would never discuss anything like this over the phone unless I was expecting a call other than to tell them to write or send me a secure message to my HMRC account/bank account/paypal/amazon/ phone account or whatever. Maybe your daughter was caught off guard. There are plenty of warnings out there but people still get caught out sadly. I don't know a solution because clearly the police can't catch the fraudsters

[-SharonA-]

Funnily enough I got a call like this yesterday. A woman, think she said Laura her name was, shouting down phone. about owing HMRC, I'd better get a lawyer etc. I just hung up.

[Smowball]

That’s so bad x

[pastafreak]

HMRC will never phone though.

[chrissa1]

I agree. Sadly she never watches programmes like Martin Lewis etc like me and her MIL.
She has alerted her bank and frozen her cards etc and emailed HMRC about it.

[chrissa1]

He told her that they had sent her a letter on Nov 4th via Royal Mail and when she said she hadn’t received any letter, they said they had proof of posting etc.

I told her that HMRC would never call her or email her.

[ludwig]

Basically, ignore all unsolicited phone calls. Just tell them to put whatever it is they want in writing, and hang up.

[Canary42]

Why do people answer the phone to strangers. Get a cheap "display caller" answerphone and listen to any response before taking any action - scammers rarely leave a message.

[fiction-factory]

Did the guy take her bank/card details then, chrissa?

[chrissa1]

I think just the sort code.

[chrissa1]

Correction. She didn’t give out any bank details but was told by this *** that she was being looked at by the police for tax evasion, 2013/2014. She had to pay it right away.

[fiction-factory]

Okay, I'm not sure that freezing her cards is necessary and it's certainly going to inconvenience her, but if it gives peace of mind or the bank wants it then okay

[chrissa1]

They also have put extra security on her account, just in case.

[dance2trance]

Buy a referee's whistle.
On receipt of a dodgy call blow it down the receiver.
You will never be bothered again.

[emmie]

i have had this call, and it did indeed seem plausible,
i remember putting the phone down wondering what if....

[murraymints]

been doing the rounds for a few years

[waterboatman]

Some people fall for it though.

[emmie]

i almost did then realised they wouldn't phone you, but write to you instead...

[Peter Pedant]

HMRC and banks never ring

when they get to the security check thing - I say - you know who I am because you are ringing me - I should ask you ......
they never survive that

[Peter Pedant]

// she was being looked at by the police for tax evasion, 2013/2014.//
I have been ! and they never ring
there is all this bit about wanting to nail you to the floor (the real HMRX that is! ) and they never do that over the phone

and I can tell you it goes on for years and you pay lawyers and accountants plenty plenty moolah - the real thing is a nightmare