Scam or real HMRC? Caller asking for my NI number

[PittPony]

Background: Last financial year, I made some voluntary National Insurance contributions to enhance my future State Pension. HMRC's acknowledgement email said I'd be contacted about it, but gave no date or timescale.
At about 8 am on Bank Holiday Monday, my phone rang. The caller claimed to be from HMRC and said they needed more information; they wanted my NI number and date of birth. First, I used the online Government Gateway when I paid, so all my details are already on the system. Secondly, I'm not gullible enough to give out my personal or financial information over the phone just because someone asks for it. The caller mentioned I could call them, 'HMRC', back on the same number if I felt more comfortable doing that. I phoned the number later that day, and it just went to a recorded message saying that no one was available to take my call.

AIBU to think this is probably a scam and that I should report it to the real HMRC? Or is it normal for HMRC to call people early on Bank Holidays and ask for sensitive information over the phone?

Scam. I receive texts from “HMRC” all the time. I’m not a tax payer!

Sounds like a scam to me. Do they have some sort of online portal to report this kind of thing?

Why would you call back the same number? If it’s a scammer, then it’s still the same scammer when you call back.

Call HMRC on their actual helpline number which you can get on the government website. Speak to them. No one else can tell you anything.

Call the HMRC number you have sourced yourself to check if want. Dont use the number they gave you as likely is a scam.

HMRC calling at 8am on Bank Holiday?

Ye scam

Let alone them asking for such information

What was the number? Have you tried googling it?

I had the same thing yesterday from 0800 023 2076, which I was worried about, but it turned out later that it does seem to be a number used by HMRC.

As I said, I'm not that gullible. I have no intention of calling the (likely) scam number and giving out my details. I called it yesterday to see if it connected; that's all. Also, the line was an 0800 number whereas HMRC use 0300. I have reported.

HMRC know your NI number and I doubt they would ask you to give the entire number over the phone! Total scam, report it today.

Like you I was very suspicious, as it seems weird for them to be calling on a bank holiday

Scam - never call back on the same number, always get the official contact number for whoever they claim to be and call that

HMRC know your NI number. It's definitely a scam.

I'd say it's a scam and I would block the number. HMRC absolutely do already have your NI number.

Call HMRC yourself today via any of the numbers you can get from the government website and just check that there's nothing you need to do (very unlikely). That should cover all bases.

Never call a suspected scammer back on the same number. Of course you'll get them. It proves nothing apart from that they are there just waiting to answer the phone to you and continue scamming. That's all part of it.

Thanks, all. Despite @Pemba saying it's legit, I think I was right to be suspicious. And even if the caller was from HMRC, I still think it's out of order to ask for NI numbers/DOB, etc, over the phone. It goes against everything we're told about protecting ourselves from scammers,

Yes they know your NI number but they would be checking that they are talking to the real person. They are checking your identity. I don't know if it was a scam or not, but you were expecting them to contact you. I've ended up in these round and round conversations with companies, one time with my bank with me trying to confirm who they were and them trying to confirm who I was, eventually the guy told me what it was about and we sorted it out.

It's a scam. They don't ring people asking for stuff. They don't even answer their phones never mind proactively call people. If you did the forms wrong they'd just make you pay in the next tax year.

Report it to Action Fraud. Though I also had a scammer pretending to be from Action Fraud so be wary!

I read the other day about ‘vishing’. They clone the phone number and pretend to call from the actual number. I had one from ‘Sky’ the other day. I ignored it, I’m not even a customer.

I found this thread on Money Saving Expert, it's Martin Lewis's site and I've used it for years. Like I say, I thought it was very strange but most people on there think it's not. OK, outing myself but the OP of the thread is me.

I am sort of reassured that it was genuine, but not 100%. They caught me when I had just woken up, and unlike you I did give them my NI number!

money saving expert thread

Definitely scam. If they were genuine they would already have that information.

What was the full phone number? They do have some 0800 numbers

I don't know if it was a scam but if they ring you they have to have some way to check you're the right person. I don't think asking for details alone is enough to conclude scam

The thing is, even if it's genuine, it seems a very unsatisfactory way to go about things. They must know it will make people suspicious!

The reason given to me on MSE was that they are inundated with calls, so they are trying to triage them or something. On a bank holiday though?

@Pemba, thanks for the link, but it isn't the same 0800 number. I've reported it at
www.tax.service.gov.uk/submissions/acknowledgement/report-a-suspicious-hmrc-phone-call

Tbf they are told to do an ID check to check they've got the right person - could be part of NI number, date of birth, post code etc.
This is guidance but I have thought before that it does feel scam-y!

Fair enough if you call an organisation but feels off when they're calling you,

@PittPony @Pemba
Never rely on it being a legitimate call just because they are calling from a recognised number. Many scammers use 'spoofing' which makes it look like they are calling from another number.

In many cases they pretend to be x company and they tell the victim to check the number on the website amd convince the person they are speaking to said company.

Absolutely scam, HMRC never call