HMRC warns on fake calls pretending as tax officials

HMRC Issued An Advisory To Avoid Fake Tax Rebates Texts

The HMRC issued thousands of emails and text messages regarding the annual bills and warned about suspicious HMRC contact and 500K referrals from people who offered fake rebates. Some callers may claim to be from the tax department. 

They cite several violations in the individual's bills alongside tax evasions as a reason to pay penalties into an unauthorized account. The fraudsters call and send messages to contact people offering tax refunds where the language used by the imposters convinces the buyers to hand over personal information like bank details. 

Such criminals use the target's personal data to trick them into paying fake bills. For example, the client may be asked to pay a huge amount to resolve a tax-related criminal case and drop a non-existent arrest warrant issued by the government authorities. 

In addition, they are sometimes asked to pay a fee to hire a solicitor or send allegation fees. Some are guaranteed their deposits will be refunded once the case is resolved, but it may never happen. 

Such gangs impersonate trusted organizations. HMRC reported it was working closely with people to generate awareness and encourage victims to report the calls they get, even if they acted on them.

How To Spot It?

Unexpected calls from HMRC offering tax rebates, grants, refunds or a threatening call can be fake. The caller aims to threaten and force the customers into transferring money into the account of the unknown caller. 

Government organizations will never use WhatsApp to message customers about tax-related matters. So, for example, if HMRC sends a message on WhatsApp, one cannot trust it and delete it after asking the victim to transfer money. 

They will create panic and force the person to make a quick decision, but one should not get intimated and hang up the call. If you call on a landline, wait until before calling the authorities. 

Also, you should try to contact the official numbers of the government agents and do not use the numbers or emails given by the suspicious texts or links. 
Those who face identity theft must use credit reference agency data, tax credits, UK passports and payslips to verify and access their account online. 

How To Identify Authorized Messages/Calls?

The authorized calls never share information about tax rebates or refunds or ask for personal information. If you get an email promising a rebate, do not click on the links in the message. An authorized organization will not ask you to provide details like the mother's maiden name or passwords on a specified link to claim a refund.  

The fraudsters may send phishing emails with the signature of a genuine employee or name to add authenticity to their claim, but remember, their main purpose is to get your money.

The number of phone scam complaints received by the HMRC in January 2019 increased by 360 per cent (in the last six months), where the scammers acted as tax officials and threatened legal action if the complainants did not meet their proposals. 

The Treasury minister said if anybody gets such calls, they should immediately hang up and report. The authorities accountable for tax in the UK said such con artists were using the landline numbers to make cold calls. 

They cautioned against such requests where the caller is intimidated by legal actions like jail if payments are not made fast or through vouchers, online or other methods.

The officials stated restrictions on text and email phishing scams have forced criminals to use phone calls to contact the victims directly. Anyone who claims to be someone should not be trusted just on the phone. 

One should not make any payment, enter a deal or provide the login details of their bank account into the sites suggested by the callers and seek counsel before making any such payments.  

With the enhancement in software solutions for spoofing and robocalls, the number of fake calls is growing worldwide, where some customer errors can allow the spammer to waste the time and money of the victim. To restrict it, one can sign up for a Telephone Preference Service or install other types of equipment like a call blocker on their landline phone.  

Ofcom identified and closed four-hundred fifty such lines in coordination with HMRC in the last few years; still, there are around 26 million houses with lines at risk of getting such offers.

How to recognize the fake?

Any call from a reputable organization will never force the user to make a payment instantly. They never ask for bank details or login information by phone or email. They never contact the person without prior notifications or messages. 

Any query where the user is asked to enter the PIN, bank details or passwords should be promptly disconnected. It is advised not to provide private information or reply to such messages to stay safe.

Some websites look like government websites or a subsidiary, but these can be fake. Some sites give information about tax rebates or penalties where the visitor is asked to make a small payment to avoid penalties.

Please do not click on email attachments, especially without prior notifications. Contact the Action fraud numbers if one is on the verge of losing money or suffered a financial loss.

The user should report the text messages, emails and phone calls to the government fraud action office. The complainant must mention their phone number, the number from where they received the call, the time and date, and the description.  

If you have given information or personal details to the scammer, such as the email number, addresses, user IDs or Password, mention it, but do not put the text in an email.