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Original poster

To think this was a scam and to have hung up?

145 replies

looseddaughter · 30/10/2020 08:26

I'm sure it was but feel a bit unnerved now. Had a phone call claiming t be from HMRC accusing me of committing tax fraud and saying there is a warrant out for my arrest and my assets will be frozen (bank account seems fine - just checked it). The man sounded foreign and it wasn't convincing at all. I ended it when he kept saying 'why did you do such a thing, m'am?'

I didn't give any details except confirming my house number and postcode, which I obviously regret now. Did I do right to end it and can I report it to someone?

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 30/10/2020 08:56

They are very good at it. The number that rang me when Googled was an HMRC number.
But logically if you had committed tax fraud what's the likelihood of the HMRC ringing your mobile about it?

I was told to 'press 1' or something and assumed that as soon as I did that the scam would commence and I would be charged money.

AdoptAdaptImprove · 30/10/2020 08:57

Yes, we regularly get:

HMRC, you have committed fraud and have a warrant out;

Your Amazon Prime account is about to expire, so press 1 to pay; and

You internet provider is about to cut off your service if you don’t pay us oodles of cash right now.

It’s awful to think of the numbers of people who must be taken in, to make it worthwhile their continuing.

Elieza · 30/10/2020 08:57

Anyone who uses the word ma’am is not speaking English English, it’s more American English. I’d suggest HRMC would not be allowed to use such a word and trainees would be told that in training.

Unless of course you’re her majesty the queen, in which case he should have addressed you as ‘your majesty’ the first time and ma’am afterwards.

PS I had no idea the queen was in mumsnet but there you go, everyone’s in here! Grin

DaddysGirlForLife · 30/10/2020 08:59

I had a scam phone call the other day supposedly from Sky. The person on the other end addressed me as Madam rather than Mrs ... (red flag immediately) then I put my husband on and the guy was trying to get him to sign into something and my husband was like, well how do I know this isn't fraud? And the guy put down the phone. Luckily he didn't have any actual details of ours but just be glad he didn't get anything else out of you.
I hate scammers!

CecilyP · 30/10/2020 09:01

Had a phone call claiming t be from HMRC accusing me of committing tax fraud and saying there is a warrant out for my arrest

It would have been tempting to say, that’s interesting because I’m a police officer myself. They wouldn’t have been able cut you off fast enough! HMRC don’t phone; they always write.

catwithflowers · 30/10/2020 09:05

There's also the 'you haven't paid your tv license and we are about to prosecute' one. And one I get via email most weeks is 'we are suspending your PayPal account due to fraudulent activity. Please sign in again with your personal and full bank details'

Horrible scammers. My MIL was almost taken in by one recently.

bridgetreilly · 30/10/2020 09:07

If you ever worry that one of these might be real you still hang up and give no information. Then contact HMRC yourself.

I had one a couple of months ago. Turned out it actually was my bank, but they still said I had done the right thing by hanging up and getting in touch a different way, just in case.

weathervane1 · 30/10/2020 09:07

And importantly, they would never threaten you with a warrant for your arrest (we don't have warrants for arrest in this country for HMRC tax evasion - at least not as a first option to resolve an issue) and neither would your assets be frozen at this stage. At the most it would be a polite letter inviting you to discuss some shortfall in tax etc and arranging a mutually convenient time to discuss it. HMRC are government employees - they would not be hurling abuse or shouting at you down the telephone. They do have a scam line though where you are encouraged to report any such instances.

SouterSally · 30/10/2020 09:08

I too had this call on my mobile, a guy (not automated) with an American accent, same speel as others have had, told him in no uncertain terms what to do with his warrant.

But then got the same call on my landline, which was an automated call, this time with an American woman.

No Idea how both my numbers were found, but blocked them both.

Now having another one calling my moblie, never rings straight to message, every bloody day, I keep blocking them then number slightly changes. Glad I dont have a personal message on my phone not even my first name is given.

Just block and ignore

SardineJam · 30/10/2020 09:08

@Elieza 🤣

Winter2020 · 30/10/2020 09:09

Another scam to be wary of that I have heard about a few times lately is someone ringing pretending to be from your bank. But crucially they already have a lot of your private information - enough for you to be convinced it is your bank. They ask you if you made a certain transaction. “No?” Then the usual “move your money/secure your money“ nonsense.

Your bank will never need you to move your money to secure it. Your real bank can freeze your account/cancel your card - no need to move money. Contact your bank on their published number from your card/statement - not on any number given to you.

It is not only vulnerable people that are falling for this scam and lising thousands. The scammers may have insider knowledge. Don’t be fooled.

I got a text the other day from “Well known high street bank”. There is a problem with your account - please contact us. I don’t have an account with this bank. If I did it would be too easy to call the number in the text and get sucked in. Scamming has shot up with covid financial strain.

AlviesMam · 30/10/2020 09:09

I had this last week! Scam!

dentydown · 30/10/2020 09:10

Oh god! My son (14) got one on his mobile. His response was “I’m rich, I can get away with it, OBVIOUSLY “ and hung up. I was worried it was a mistake by hmrc, and they rung him by mistake!

Happyheartlovelife · 30/10/2020 09:15

It’s a scam. Please report it to action fraud.

There’s a lot happening right now.

The HMRC don’t phone you and ask for money. Nor do they ring and say you’ve committed tax fraud

I once forgot to stop my self assessment tax and got charged. They send you a letter. They don’t ring

I had the charge reversed. But it was my fault!

CeibaTree · 30/10/2020 09:15

I had this same call this morning! Just hung up as it was clearly not HMRC..

Happyheartlovelife · 30/10/2020 09:17

My friend is awesome when these people rang

He once told them to wait 5 mins because he was burying his wife under the patio!

No one said a thing. Lols.

RaspberryCoulis · 30/10/2020 09:17

Of COURSE it's a scam. Hmm

PleasantVille · 30/10/2020 09:18

@SummerOfComedy

I heard on the radio that HMRC will never ring,text or email you. They will always write to you.

There's plenty of these scams on YouTube.

That's not quite true

HMRC email me when there's a message in my tax account to tell me to log on for it. Don't automatically ignore an email, it could be genuine.

SpeccyLime · 30/10/2020 09:18

Of course it’s a scam, and yes you were right to end the call. I don’t think you need to report it because it’s quite a well known one, but might be worth looking up if there is a watchdog or something that keeps track of these things and letting them know.

Roystonv · 30/10/2020 09:19

If landline (esp for elderly) do look into if the provider offers a block the number service for such calls. Ours is easy to use and reassuring to have.

RaspberryCoulis · 30/10/2020 09:20

@SummerOfComedy

I heard on the radio that HMRC will never ring,text or email you. They will always write to you.

There's plenty of these scams on YouTube.

That's not true - I get emails from HMRC all the time. They will also text - but usually in response to you asking them to help with resetting a password or something.
LemonadeFromLemons · 30/10/2020 09:21

I have a friend who has a brilliant way of dealing with these calls. He’ll let them do their spiel then cut them off halfway through and say sorry somebody is at the door,..leaves the phone for five minutes...comes back caller resumes...friend then turns hoover on apologises to callers says someone is hoovering...caller resumes...etc. Fifteen minutes of this, then he tells the caller to eff off :)

Pradababe · 30/10/2020 09:21

Yes, they NEVER ring or email. They will write to you if there is a problem. (Letters usually arrive on a Friday so you have a stressy weekend!!), but they will always let you present your case if there is an area of concern.

DaisyDreaming · 30/10/2020 09:24

My grandfather ended up in a terrible state thinking he was going to be arrested after getting this scam call

Oldraver · 30/10/2020 09:25

I had this one, knew ir was a scam and wanted to play along. My patience runs out pretty quick though as the way they talk to you is so unprofessional (ie the 'why did you do this m'aam)'. I think as they are in India they asume shaming you can work). I eneded up going off on one

You wouldn'y believe how many times this year my PayPal has been suspended, but here I am still buying stuff