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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
CeibaTree · 30/10/2020 09:26

What is the point of this scam by the way - are they just after a way to get people's bank account details?

PleasantVille · 30/10/2020 09:27

@Pradababe

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.
Another wrong post, they absolutely do send emails and texts, I've just googled and there are over 30 different reasons listed any they might contact you in this way, most are or businesses but the email individuals as well.
Thecobwebsarewinning · 30/10/2020 09:27

Sadly enough people fall for these things to make it profitable for the scammers. I have had several calls and I’ve also had some very convincing looking emails that tell me I’ve overpaid my PAYE and a refund will be instantly sent to the bank details I provide. Since I haven’t paid PAYE for over a decade I haven’t been fooled but I can see how some people might be.

DappledThings · 30/10/2020 09:28

@CeibaTree

What is the point of this scam by the way - are they just after a way to get people's bank account details?
I asume if you continue to talk to them they will start demanding payment there and then so people will be conned into giving them money via transfer or credit card.
Lunariagal · 30/10/2020 09:30

Just to say that scammers have software which enables them to display any phone number at all when it flashes up on your phone. So whatever number is displayed, its unlikely to actually be the one they are phoning from.

tearinyourhand · 30/10/2020 09:30

Who on earth voted YABU? Shock

Casschops · 30/10/2020 09:31

I got one from my "bank" the other day telling me id comitted fraud. They even had a police siren sound affect which was the American style. I blew my sports whistle down the phone they asked me why I did that. Fuckwits.

fashu · 30/10/2020 09:31

Sounds like a scam.
I had a phone call once asking for my name and then asking if I was available to speak. I said yes and then he hung up. I got panicked because I had seen the scam where people put your yes on a charge.
I searched the number and it was debt collectors. I was so worried. I called them back and they said I owed X amount of money. I said I don't think I do and I'm going to report you. They asked for some more details and it turned out another person with the same DOB as me and they had done a search on the directory! overall very worrying since I don't even know my home number!

tearinyourhand · 30/10/2020 09:33

@Oldraver

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

These days I get the 'paypal suspended' email about twice a day, and the 'Netflix suspended' at least once a day. And those are just the ones that make it past the email security. It's reaching the point where I get more scam emails than real ones.
MsTSwift · 30/10/2020 09:35

I got that call first week of lock down home schooling work gone mentally busy I said I wouldn’t mind a stint in prison for a break 😁. What bastards they are - don’t know how those people sleep at night

NeonGenesis · 30/10/2020 09:36

We have this in Australia, too. Ours is a robot voice, you don't actually get to speak to a person.

I don't know how the arseholes got my number but I block their number each time I get the call but they keep trying off different numbers. I will admit that I have told the robot voice to fuck off a few times...

AcornAutumn · 30/10/2020 09:36

@DaisyDreaming

My grandfather ended up in a terrible state thinking he was going to be arrested after getting this scam call
Sorry to hear that. This worries me about my mum. She wouldn’t be able to stop thinking it was real.
MsTSwift · 30/10/2020 09:37

Also bloody cheek “why did you do that” why do YOU do that you dirty scammer

theDudesmummy · 30/10/2020 09:38

I've had this several times. I just put the phone to one side and leave it for a while (to cause them maximum costs). They get bored and go away.

Eckhart · 30/10/2020 09:40

@StillCoughingandLaughing

What puzzles me is that an awful lot of effort must go into putting these together; yet the one very obvious detail they’ve screwed up is the automated voice having an American accent. Surely that must be a warning sign for anyone receiving a call supposedly from UK HMRC

Apparently they do this deliberately, along with spelling mistakes in email scams. It filters out the smart people. Smart people will realise it's a scam straight away (like OP did), and not engage. Leaving them with only the less worldly-wise to deal with, which is exactly what they want.

Sickening.

theDudesmummy · 30/10/2020 09:41

But HMRC do sometimes ring you. It's not true that they don't. They don't demand money over the phone though, but they may call for a discussion/remind you what you owe etc.

Mariposa123 · 30/10/2020 09:43

I had this call this morning too. (The real) hmrc have an email you can report these scams to

www.gov.uk/report-suspicious-emails-websites-phishing/report-hmrc-phishing-emails-texts-and-phone-call-scams

Lampan · 30/10/2020 09:45

I get the voicemail message all the time. Even though it’s clearly a scam, it was still unnerving the first couple of times. Now it’s funny, as if someone would call to warn you that you are about to be arrested 😄 But it makes me sad that people get worried about these things. It’s so cruel.

theDudesmummy · 30/10/2020 09:45

PS just to clarify, HMRC would not be ringing someone who only pays PAYE as far as I know. I am talking about VAT or corporation tax here...

Itsokthanks · 30/10/2020 09:51

Obviously a scam. Why would you even think for a second that it's genuine.

Dopeyduck · 30/10/2020 09:52

Yes it’s a scam and you can report it online via action fraud

RaspberryCoulis · 30/10/2020 09:55

@Dopeyduck

Yes it’s a scam and you can report it online via action fraud
Who can do bugger all as these scammers are well outside the EU.
BashfulClam · 30/10/2020 10:01

I told the last guy I was a tax accountant and had my record in front of me (didn’t as I was giving them as much bull shot as they were giving me). I said ‘so I have my tax record here let’s go through it and you tell me where the discrepancy is ok?’ He hung up!

Roussette · 30/10/2020 10:01

Good grief.
Yes of course it's a scam. As is anything about Amazon Prime, a car accident, a survey, ... basically OP treat every call as a scam unless it's someone you know. Because it will be.
I'm ex directory and don't give my landline number out so all calls are scams unless it's a relative!

If you are BT just report the number
www.bt.com/consumer/edw/scams/