The accusation of late payment for a tax bill, fraud and the threat of prosecution so upset Wendy Palmer she struggled to respond and he cut her off.
++ If you’ve been affected by this issue or feel you’ve been a victim of injustice, please contact consumer champion Maisha Frost on [email protected]
A second scam call, for that what it was, was more ingratiating, but as the widow was pressed to give details about her tax number and bank account her suspicions rose and she hung up.
Then she called Crusader because she was so worried about the level of menace and wanted to prevent others from being snared.
“The man was very authoritarian and shouting. I could easily see someone more vulnerable or older scared into giving their details,” Wendy explained.
As the deadline time approaches for filing tax returns so scam calls like this increase, but scammers and spoof numbers are a constant so people and businesses can never drop their guard.
“Never let yourself be rushed,” advises HMRC. “If someone contacts you saying they’re HMRC, wanting you to urgently transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard.
“HMRC will also never ring up threatening arrest. Only criminals do that.
Tax scams come in many forms. Some threaten immediate arrest for tax evasion, others offer a rebate.
“Contacts like these should set alarm bells ringing, so take your time and check HMRC scams advice on GOV.UK.
“To help us fight these crimes, forward suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC to 60599 and emails to [email protected]. Report tax scam phone calls to us on GOV.UK.
“You can also contact HMRC directly but make sure you use phone numbers from our contact details on GOV.UK. Scam HMRC phone calls fell 97 per cent over the last year thanks to the work of [our] teams.”
[Wendy’s name has been changed]
