We’ve heard about a new scam where fraudsters pose as HMRC in an attempt to steal your personal info. Here’s what to watch out for…
We recently got this letter from a member:
I got a message on my answering machine telling me HMRC was filing a lawsuit against me, and that I should press 1 to speak to my case handler.
The caller had not withheld their number so I called them back. There was no reply for a while, then a voicemail with an electronic male North American accent said the person I was calling was not available and I should leave my details.
At this point I hung up. HMRC has no reason to sue me. If it did, I’m sure it wouldn’t contact me in this way.
I would expect an official letter detailing the reasons for the lawsuit and what initial action I would be expected to take.
Our advice
You were right to hang up. We’ve had more than 100 people report this scam to us and it’s only getting more prolific.
Variations of the scam include threatening someone with arrest or legal action if they don’t call back.
The scam is designed to scare you into returning the fraudster’s call, when you’ll then be cornered into handing over personal or banking details.
HMRC would never contact you out of the blue. If it needs to get in touch with you, it will normally write to you and quote your tax reference number.
We’ve informed Action Fraud and HMRC so this can be investigated. If you get more calls in the future, you should do the same.