Calls from ' HMRC'

[the80sweregreat]

Not a aibu , but posting for traffic.

Had two calls on my mobile this week about 'tax fraud ' in my name and if I don't press one they will come and arrest me! I hung up straight away and I know it's a scam call but it has shook me up a bit!
Is anyone else getting these ?
Is there anything I can do about them?
Thanks

I'm sitting here waiting for a knock on the door :)
It is a bit scary. We've had dodgy landline calls before now from ' Amazon' and a lot about the internet , but not on my mobile before.

This scam has been doing the rounds the last few years. A friend of mine works for HMRC and she got one of these calls last year. There are some horrible people out there trying to take advantage.

Any call stating you'll be arrested or there's a warrant out for your arrest is fake. If you're ever in any doubt, just hang up and call the company on their official phone lines.
Had someone claiming to be from Sky call my elderly neighbour and tell her that her Internet was being used to download illegal material and asked her to go on Google and put in a web address or she'd be arrested for downloading the content herself. She knocked on my door in a tizz and asked to use my computer to sort it out. Turns out she doesn't even have WiFi. Not sure how these scammer sleep at night to be honest.

I had a Microsoft one recently, it was an actual person not an automated message.
I live to string them along, pretended I was getting late for school and my dad was in charge of the internet and he was busy working at the restaurant!
The fool was obviously not in the UK as everyone knows we're in lockdown and restaurants are closed.
I kept the call going for just over 30 minutes by asking him to hold the line whilst I got ready. He hung up on me when my DD yelled mum!

I had that when I opened my own business. However, the one I had, I had awful signal and was stuck at my aunts house. It scared the heck out of me, but I genuinely couldn’t make out what was being said other than “tax fraud” and “arrests” literally the line was awful. I called my husband to ask him about it and whilst I was talking to him, I had a really threatening text message basically saying I owed £xxxxx and if I didn’t pay HMRC for having an “unregistered” business I would be arrested and imprisoned for xx years.
I reported it to HMRC and they said they needed the number; my husband gave it to them in the end.

Have you googled? You'll find thousands or maybe more hits for this, it's been going on for years and it pretty well known

We get them all the time. Mobile and landline. I just hang up.

Same as the “your internet has been used for bad stuff (not actual words) so we are cutting off your phone line” or the “your Visa card has been used for a payment of [huge amount] if it was not you that DONE this (great grammar) please press 1” all just ignored.

I have heard a theory that these scams, both telephone and email, use bad spelling and grammar because “on the ball” people will realise straight away. They don’t want “on the ball” people, they want people who will be easily sucked in.....

I don’t answer any unknown numbers on my mobile or LL. If it’s important they’ll leave a message. The only time I answer ‘withheld’ or ‘no caller id’ was when we were dealing with the hospital whilst waiting for an appointment.

I've had two this week and they've both been from real numbers. I always block and report to HMRC but they use a lot of different numbers.

I did however check and HMRC don't have my mobile number so I know they are def a scam.

@TeenPlusTwenties

I've had a text saying they want to give me a text rebate and to click on a link...

I got that one too.

The recorded message scam called annoy me more than the real person ones though. I feel that if someone is trying to con me they should, at the very least, put some effort into it. agreed. How am I supposed to toy with them when it’s just some kind of automated message, in abismal grammar stating that “you will get arrested shortly...”?

IIRC there was a MN’er who had an actual person ring her claiming to be from HMRC who kept saying things like “why’d you do it mam?”

We had virgin recently saying that we needed to block a device from our internet etc etc, when I answered I just said I would ring Virgin back on their regular number and they hung up. But they rang back the next day, and my 18 YO had much fun toying with them for around 15 minutes.

My sister had one from “Microsoft” claiming she’d been hacked and needed to do whatever it is they’re asking. She said she had no desire to speak to them, to which they responded “perhaps we should speak to your husband then?” She answered “yes, perhaps you should, he’s a police officer.” They hung up...

I am grateful for all your replies.
You can rely on mumsnetters!
I wonder how many do become scammed though?

Oh yes I was going to be arrested apparently haha as if the tax man is interested in the pittance i earn

I had one last year just as I was going out, I got to the corner shop and two policemen followed me in, I nearly pooed myself

I had this not so long ago and agree with OP it also shook me up a bit even though I was fairly certain it’s a scam. I reported it and haven’t had it happen again thankfully.

I've had two now. I reported them on the HRMC scam telephone calls website.

I work for HMRC and I get them too. You'd think my boss might have given me a hint if I was getting arrested!
Do please report if you get them.
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/reporting-fraudulent-emails

The link says emails but there's an online form for phone calls and a number to forward fraudulent texts to.

I first had this call about 2 years ago. I'm still waiting to be arrested.

I've had 14 of these calls in the past 2 days. I block then another call comes in from a similar number.

I have had all these calls.Disgusting people.
We rang BT.Their advice is to immediately put the phone down, pick up again straight away and dial 1572.This sets up a junk voice mail.Press 1 and the number is redirected.It doesn't stop them using different numbers though so I just keep doing this.Don't know how they sleep at night.It angers but doesn't bother me now.We have had them all Amazon , Tax fraud, bank account being hacked.Latest one was from mobile company saying I needed to get in touch asap as my contract payment hadn't gone through...I'm pay as you go.!! Don''t get me started on the: "our records show you were in an accident recently" I don't even drive, and when I told her this she just said "And what was the date of the accident "So annoying.
My friend shut them up the other day.She let them ramble on about the so called accident."Oh really " she said, "Did I survive it"😂

Oh my bag is packed and I’m waiting to be arrested. My call happened at 14.40 and I can’t wait to see other people outside of my family. Exciting times during lockdown. I’m assuming they’ll be a while, so I’ll eat some decent food now and start my diet in my cell: away from work/homeschooling/cleaning/etc. It will be like a spa! 😆

I feel sad for the more elderly at the moment.
I know a lot are literally sitting every day worrying and waiting for their phones to ring for their Covid jabs (96 yo MIL/87 yo DM among others)
They are hyper alert, literally just waiting, and then these harassing calls come in.

Poor 96yo MIL called me this week - received one call “asking about her computer”, she hung up, phone immediately rang again, a different person “you just hung up on my colleague”, closely followed by a third call from a man. Poor MIL, anxious, worried terribly and asking me if she had done the right thing.

I wish there was a way of putting a stop to it all.

If you register with the telephone preference service then you should get fewer calls

the80sweregreat

Have a look on youtube for this, the ones were they have tried to do it to police officers are great.