Scam Phone Calls (HMRC)

hollie.weimeraner

I'm sure most people on here are aware of scam phone calls. Just letting people know the latest one is purporting to be from HMRC requesting payments for overdue tax. The numbers being used are from the Environment Agency internal contacts and are going through to the main switch.
Numbers are obviously cloned.
They have been having a really high number of calls regarding this issue.

badger09

Pffttt

These numskulls can't even clone a number for the correct govt agency:cool:

Sadly, some will still be taken in and lose money:(

[Deleted User]

Why would any private citizen give their phone number to HMRC?

soulsaver

johnsmith1890 wrote: »

Why would any private citizen give their phone number to HMRC?

Maybe because you need a OTP to access your on line tax records?

tempus_fugit

hollie.weimeraner wrote: »

I'm sure most people on here are aware of scam phone calls. Just letting people know the latest one is purporting to be from HMRC requesting payments for overdue tax. The numbers being used are from the Environment Agency internal contacts and are going through to the main switch.
Numbers are obviously cloned.
They have been having a really high number of calls regarding this issue.

Not exactly the latest. This one's been around for a good while now, and has been reported on on this site and in these forums.

Uxb1

soulsaver wrote: »

Maybe because you need a OTP to access your on line tax records?

....and because it is required as data on your self assessment form

[Deleted User]

Uxb1 wrote: »

....and because it is required as data on your self assessment form

Those clowns at HMRC are never going to get my phone number. Online tax records? I don't bother with that. Never filled in a tax form for donkey's years. I recently filled out a form (paper) to reclaim a tax overpayment on a pension lump sump. Yes, it asked for contact numbers - I left it all blank. If they don't have your phone number the chances of scam calls such as the subject of this thread are reduced to zero.

Money_Grabber13579

johnsmith1890 wrote: »

Those clowns at HMRC are never going to get my phone number. Online tax records? I don't bother with that. Never filled in a tax form for donkey's years. I recently filled out a form (paper) to reclaim a tax overpayment on a pension lump sump. Yes, it asked for contact numbers - I left it all blank. If they don't have your phone number the chances of scam calls such as the subject of this thread are reduced to zero.

I’m not sure which one of us is confused, but why could you not get such scam calls if HMRC don’t have your phone number? It isn’t HMRC that are actually phoning...

AnotherJoe

johnsmith1890 wrote: »

Those clowns at HMRC are never going to get my phone number. Online tax records? I don't bother with that. Never filled in a tax form for donkey's years. I recently filled out a form (paper) to reclaim a tax overpayment on a pension lump sump. Yes, it asked for contact numbers - I left it all blank. If they don't have your phone number the chances of scam calls such as the subject of this thread are reduced to zero.

Hilarious. What, you think they call numbers they get from HMRC?

They just call all the numbers there are.

robatwork

johnsmith1890 wrote: »

TYes, it asked for contact numbers - I left it all blank. If they don't have your phone number the chances of scam calls such as the subject of this thread are reduced to zero.

Blimey John your tin hat is too tight.

Does anyone outside of your close family have your number?
In that case the scammers have it.

What you said was fairly idiotic.

Terry_Towelling

There's obviously a lack of understanding here.

To make it clear, the thinking is that, if you've never given HMRC your phone number, then any call from someone claiming to be HMRC must be a scam because you know they don't have your number.

Sadly, this logic falls down a little because (as long as you aren't ex-directory) HMRC has enough information on you to look up your phone number and call you if they really want to (not that they would - but they could).

At the end of the day, it is safest to just assume that whoever calls you unexpectedly claiming to be from any company at all is potentially a scammer, so think twice before giving away anything and preferably call them back on a number you have sourced yourself after the line has cleared.

You will always know when you have called on a bona fide number because you'll have several million automated options to work through (none of which quite fit your criteria) and will then wait in a queue for most of your life before you get to speak to anyone before realising you selected the wrong option right back at the start.:)