Beware - fake phone calls claiming money owed to HMRC or other organisations

Bogof_Babe

Posting this here in case anyone has elderly relatives who might be scammed, and didn't see the programme this morning (BBC1 9:15).

Apparently it's a widespread fraud that people are receiving phone calls telling them they owe money to the Inland Revenue or other outfits, and that they must pay today or go to court and maybe jail. They are told to go and buy iTunes vouchers to the value of their alleged debt, and then phone the codes through to the scammer. The scammers are then apparently selling these codes on to innocent purchasers.

People have actually been falling for this. I know it seems crazy, but some elderly and/or vulnerable people are so terrified by the threat of jail that they are going along with it in a sort of blind panic.

Please warn your relatives and any elderly neighbours not to get caught out. It's shocking and horrifying.

tattycath

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Posting this here in case anyone has elderly relatives who might be scammed, and didn't see the programme this morning (BBC1 9:15).

Apparently it's a widespread fraud that people are receiving phone calls telling them they owe money to the Inland Revenue or other outfits, and that they must pay today or go to court and maybe jail. They are told to go and buy iTunes vouchers to the value of their alleged debt, and then phone the codes through to the scammer. The scammers are then apparently selling these codes on to innocent purchasers.

People have actually been falling for this. I know it seems crazy, but some elderly and/or vulnerable people are so terrified by the threat of jail that they are going along with it in a sort of blind panic.

Please warn your relatives and any elderly neighbours not to get caught out. It's shocking and horrifying.

Yes, I saw it. The poor lady had no idea, she was just terrified of going to court and thought the vouchers were just a legitimate means of paying the alleged debt.
She even asked if it was a scam and they said that scammers ask for bank details, which was not the case here.

lincroft1710

I don't think this is "Rip-Off Britain", which implies people being overcharged, or "iTunes vouchers scam", which implies people being scammed with fake vouchers.

A better thread title would be :

"Beware - fake phone calls claiming money owed to HMRC or other organisations"

Bogof_Babe

I will amend the heading forthwith .