Scam Phone Calls (HMRC)

[Deleted User]

robatwork wrote: »

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.

No. Can't think why anyone should have it. The only people having my number are those that I know personally. As a result, any call purporting to be from some or other government department would be automatically considered suspect.

[Deleted User]

Terry_Towelling wrote: »

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.:)

Thanks. You beat me to it. Exactly the point. I'm ex-directory. Notwithstanding the comment in my previous post, the only organisations that have my mobile and landline number are British Airways and Bank of Scotland (and if I ever get anything other than a OTP when setting up a new payee from the latter, they'll face my wrath). Since HMRC don't have my number, if I ever received a call purporting to be from them I'd regard it as fraudulent - no need to even wonder about it.


Anyway, as a PAYE tax payer, why on earth would they need to contact me?

Emily_Joy

johnsmith1890 wrote: »

The only organisations that have my mobile and landline number are British Airways and Bank of Scotland

Does this mean that you only fly with BA and your only bank account is with BoS?

I am so tired with "you have recently been involved in an accident" scam that I simply never pick up calls from unknown numbers.

dowright

I just got a phone call, I got an automated voice warning me I would be arrested if I don't press 1.

ha ha ha ha ha ha



0300 200 0756


Apparently very similiar to HMRC, perhaps even cloned.