HMRC warns people not to fall for National Insurance scam ‘HMRC will never ring!’ | Personal Finance | Finance
The warning comes after a spate of Britons took to Twitter this week to report calls from fraudsters pretending to be from HMRC. Fraudsters claim there has been a problem with someone’s National Insurance number in a bid to steal personal details.
Britons have been taking to Twitter this week to complain about another HMRC scam that is doing the rounds.
The scammers have been telling people that there is a problem with their National Insurance number and it is about to be suspended.
HMRC has responded and advised people to “stop” and “challenge” whether it is indeed a scam as they would never call people.
An HMRC spokesperson said: “Never let yourself be rushed.”
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While some threaten immediate arrest for tax evasion, others claim someone’s National Insurance number has been compromised.
In some circumstances, scammers try a different tactic, attempting to steal people’s details by offering a tax rebate.
In the 12 months leading up to April 2022, nearly 277,000 people contacted HMRC about suspicious phone calls, text messages and emails.
Tax Credits customers who need to renew their annual claims before July 31, are being warned to look out for messages and phone calls purporting to be from HMRC.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services, said: “We’re urging all of our customers to be really careful if they are contacted out of the blue by someone asking for money or bank details.
“There are a lot of scams out there where fraudsters are calling, texting or emailing customers claiming to be from HMRC.
“If you have any doubts, we suggest you don’t reply directly, and contact us straight away.
“Search GOV.UK for our ‘scams checklist’ and to find out ‘how to report tax scams’.”
HMRC recently issued three tips to help people spot a scam:
- Stop: Take a moment to think before parting with your money or information. If a phone call, text or email is unexpected, don’t give out private information or reply, and don’t download attachments or click on links before checking on GOV.UK that the contact is genuine. Do not trust caller ID on phones. Numbers can be spoofed.
- Challenge: It’s OK to reject, refuse or ignore any requests – only criminals will try to rush or panic you. Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact and how to avoid and report scams.
- Protect: Forward suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC to 60599 and emails to [email protected]. Report tax scam phone calls on GOV.UK. Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen victim to a scam and report it to Action Fraud.
