to be really shaken up by this

[isitwhatitis]

I have bad anxiety. I know this phone call was complete bollocks but it's really got to me
My phone just rang from an 0300 number. I answered and had a man's voice telling me that the call is from HMRC and there is a tax fraud case against me and I don't press 1 now then I will be arrested shortly.
I'm going out to collect my DCs from school soon and I can't stop shaking. I'll be OK in a moment but I'm disgusted that people can do this.

I had it yesterday too, I phoned dh and laughed about how I was about to be arrested!!! 😂

I have had this message too. It is very creepy & startling but keep remembering that it is just a scam and they make it s art to try to get you to fall victim to it. Don't worry about the call, you are in good company.

Oh my gosh, they do that here too! I got the same call, but it was "from the IRS."

Had the same message this morning, but I didn't listen long enough to hear what fate would befall me... so thanks for putting my curiosity to bed.

I am in the US temporarily and am constantly getting phone calls telling me that my Social Security number will be suspended, which would be a problem, if I had one in the first place. Always armed FBI officers on their way, they've never arrived.

We're in the U.S and get calls just like this only pretending they are from the IRS or something. It often involves us about to be arrested.

I shout, "You'll never take me alive" into the phone and hang up. I find swearing and shouting helps.

That's seriously unlucky. I've had the same mobile number for 10 years + and get less than one scam call a month. The usually are flashed up as suspicious/scam/marketeer as soon as they start ringing. Does your provider have that service?

We had one, must have just left drama school too, the police were going to be sent straight round yada, yada ( yawn ) unfortunately for them ‘himself’ was on the other line mid call with ... the Inland Revenue. They wouldn’t give a number so their colleague could contact them : they hung up - SO rude ! I do worry about vulnerable people receiving these calls.

It's a scam. Scammers do this to random people, hoping to get money out of you. HMRC would NEVER do it in this way.

I felt ill when I got call from 'hmrc' telling me I was being investigated for tax evasion. The day before I had just made a large deposit into my account.(am positive these scammers must have known this)
I rang hmrc straight away and they knew nothing. They told me if they need you to contact them or if there is any issue they send a letter first and if in any doubt to call their phone number. Never the number you were called or text from.
Very stressful I know.

I’d like to think I’m pretty savvy but I completely fell for the same scam yesterday!

I saw the number call my mobile and I googled who it was. Seeing it was HMRC I picked up and I was completely sucked in. I wrote down my sodding case number and arrest warrant number 😂

Didn’t give out any information but was threatened with police showing up at my door and was told to get a good criminal defence lawyer. Put the phone down at the point they wanted to record me accepting / denying whether I was trying to defraud the government.

At the time I was panicking like crazy but looking back I can’t help think what a moron I was for falling for it.

@TheGrapefulDread I thought the same with regards to vulnerable people receiving the call. It was quite intimidating!

(Sorry to double post!)

Honestly OP I think you should put on an answerphone, leave it muted, and don't answer the phone any more. Do you have someone else that could screen your calls for you?

This is SUCH an obvious scam and it shouldn't have this effect on you.

I'm damn sure this is a scam. These people are very clever and cunning, report to Citizens' Advice Bureau and the non-urgent police number. Then sit down with a nice cup of tea or something stronger and calm yourself down. These scum are beyond contempt. It's horrible that they've made you fee so bad.

Op, if a number rings me that I don't recognise I either decline the call or let it ring to voicemail.
Then Google the number.
Google will bring up the number if it's a scam, people leave reviews and the number is rated as 'dangerous' - then just block the number.

Either that or put your phone on Do Not Disturb and leave that on all the time changing the settings to All Contacts.
If the number calling isn't in your contacts it'll go straight to answerphone, you won't even be notified of the call until you see the notification.
If it's that important they'll either leave a message or call you back.

• Obviously DND is only on iPhone, I'm unsure of android but that's my experience.

You are very unlikley to be arrested by HMRC, unless of course you are involved in a tax fraud involving a million or two.

Also HMRC don't use an 0300 number. Having had to call them once, their number begins with 0903.

@isitwhatitis Jesus, you couldn't make this up. I thought I'd get my favourite iced frappe from the local petrol station. That's the one that the police use to get their coffees when out in the unmarked cars. In I go and there are two uniformed officers waiting by the counter. One of them said you don't look pleased to see us, what's up and we had a laugh about it.

You couldn't make up that after receiving a very common scam call that has nothing to do with you personally, you went into a place that you know the police use regularly, and there were some police there?

If you have a mobile why not get rid of your landline? We did a year ago and don't miss it at all

Because unless you are a Virgin Media customer you need a landline to get broadband? This is the only reason I still have a landline.

I hate these calls too, they really wind me up. I know that we can all laugh about them but imagine what happens when that call goes through to a vulnerable person. My very elderly nan got caught out with a similar scam a few years ago and I was so angry. The police did very little about it.

There's a special place in hell for these people.

Try not to get too upset and know that this is an automated scam, which means it’s not personal to you and they don’t know who you are. Your number has been selected at random and the voice will have been recorded. Hope that helps.

ddl1 HMRC do use 0300 numbers in the main.

Give yourself a BIG clap on the back there for not getting sucked into a scam. You are brilliant!

Oh and I have a loud whistle at home (daren't use it elsewhere lol), that I blow into the phone when these scammers try me out.

You couldn't make up that after receiving a very common scam call that has nothing to do with you personally, you went into a place that you know the police use regularly, and there were some police there?

OH FGS, get a sense of humour. I just thought it was funny coming after the pathetic phone call. What's wrong with trying to see the funny side of a stressful event?

The police are regulars in my local petrol station. It is handily-placed on a roundabout right by the main road between towns and close to two motorways. If you go there of an evening they're more often there than not - it's a handy place for the traffic lot to lie in wait.