HMRC scam phone call

[mkmel]

Completely out of the blue today I received a phone call from 07912 014801.

I don't normally answer phone calls from numbers I don't recognize but today for one reason or another I did.

It was a recorded message purporting to be from HMRC. Telling me they were going to take legal action against me and that I should press button 1 to speak to them. Obviously I didn't press button 1.

I googled the number they rang on to see who rang me and probably see others mentioning they were scammers but nothing.

Anyone else had similar HMRC scam calls?

[ClaretTony]

Would you receive a call from HMRC via a mobile number?

[mkmel]

I know that and that's why I did nothing.

I just wondered if anyone else has had similar HMRC scam calls.

And after reading this thread maybe if anyone receives similar scam calls they too will just totally ignore it and not press button 1.

[Pickles]

I rarely answer the phone to numbers I don't know. If it's important and genuine, they'll leave a voicemail. Any number I don't recognise or feel a bit iffy about, I never answer. I then google the number and 9/10 it's a scam. A lot of phones will identify and block spam for you too. Pesky though and AI makes it easier for the wrong 'uns to do it.

[Bosscat]

Have had this one too ... ranks alongside the "this call is from your bank security, £500 has been transferred to an overseas account"

The scammers must get some that think its genuine

I always check a number on "who called me" and 9 times out of 10 they have been reported

[Accrington claret]

I get scam calls all the time. usually just hang up as it's easy to spot a scam
However if i have nothing else to do i keep them talking for half an hour or so before they hang up on me
Favourite of mine is accident claims. Tell them i had 12 people in the car, all dead while i'm still on life support.
So how much payout can i expect

[ElectroClaret]

Yes i get all sorts of scamming scumbags ringing. If it's an automated message i just hang up. If its an actual person, i either play along and ask ridiculous questions without giving any personal details away, or if im not in the mood for that, i scream the foulest expletive-ridden rant down the phone at the top of my voice.

That usually gets shut of em and cheers me up...

[bfcjg]

I've had the HMRC scam call, immediately blocked the number.

[boatshed bill]

If I get the chance I wind them up, particularly the one about insuring household appliances. However most are pre-recorded.

[Commy]

My friend kept someone on the phone for about an hour and a half and then told them she didn't have a computer . They told her what they thought of her and slammed the phone down.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

They’re quite funny
Pressing 1 usually connects you to someone who isn’t English, invariably Indian, or that area of the world

They’ll ask you to confirm your name and details, which is amusing because they rang you

They’ll claim they’re going to cancel your national insurance number and other stuff

They’ll make a vague claim you’ve been involved in some sort of fraud

If you’re quick, you can keep them going for ages on the phone

If you’re really good they’ll end up telling you to Fck off before hanging up on you

[Juan Tanamera]

I had similar to mkmel about 3 years ago and I noted the number too.
I actually rang HMRC to explain what had happened, gave them the number and they did the square root of **** all about it.

[Mondsley]

Scam calls purporting to be from HMRC have been around for a long time. Having worked for HMRC rest assured they will NEVER make unsolicited calls to your mobile or landline. I recall a colleague getting one of these calls on her mobile whilst we were in work. That was quite amusing.

[wilks_bfc]

I get scam calls all the time. usually just hang up as it's easy to spot a scam
However if i have nothing else to do i keep them talking for half an hour or so before they hang up on me
Favourite of mine is accident claims. Tell them i had 12 people in the car, all dead while i'm still on life support.
So how much payout can i expect

I had a similar one for an “accident I’d had”

When they asked what my injuries were I replied decapitation

They still continued asking questions

[Milltown1882]

I rarely answer the phone to numbers I don't know. If it's important and genuine, they'll leave a voicemail. Any number I don't recognise or feel a bit iffy about, I never answer. I then google the number and 9/10 it's a scam. A lot of phones will identify and block spam for you too. Pesky though and AI makes it easier for the wrong 'uns to do it.

Exactly this.

You’ll notice patterns in it where they’ve bulk bought numbers too so even if you block one you’ll get another the same day or day after with a slight variation. Always a scam.

[Bosscat]

Exactly this.

You’ll notice patterns in it where they’ve bulk bought numbers too so even if you block one you’ll get another the same day or day after with a slight variation. Always a scam.

They don't block buy numbers ...

Just like the E-mails where it 1st appears to look like its genuine (if you float your mouse cursor over the email the actual scumbag e-mail appears) they use a computer to fool your phone into thinking its a real number ... like all Scammers, as fast as technology gets a way to beat them they find a way to circumvent it .

I have had calls from people who said I had rung them from my landline ... when I hadn't ... which means the beltards can clone your number to use to try and scam folk.

BT (and mobile companies) need to come up with a way of stopping this.
The Telephone preference service does not work ... I subscribed to this to try and cut the number of calls we were getting but ... They still get through.

[addisclaret]

Have had this one too ... ranks alongside the "this call is from your bank security, £500 has been transferred to an overseas account"

The scammers must get some that think its genuine

I always check a number on "who called me" and 9 times out of 10 they have been reported

Indeed they do get many to think it's genuine.

Vishing scams in 2020 netted an estimated $40 mil in the US alone.

[CaptJohn]

If I get a call from an unknown number I'll usually note the number, cut them off before they have chance to waffle on and then check the number on who-called.co.uk It gives you a pretty good idea if they are scammers or engaged in fraud. The scammers are certainly upping their game at the moment and I have to admire some as they don't always appear to be after anything but the devil is always in the detail.

[Circa86]

You need to be very careful with simply checking numbers. It's possible for them to mimic a legitimate number. I was almost caught a couple of years ago by a scammer calling from the HSBC lost/stolen card number on the back of my bank card! If they say they're calling from the bank and you're unsure, just put the phone down and call the bank back.

Because they almost managed to hook me, they keep trying occasionally. I calmly ask them whether their parents are proud of what they do for a living.

[Colburn_Claret]

I just had an automated call informing me that I have had a £300 payment to Amazon, and a £1000 overseas transfer.
Press 1......

I waited patiently until the end then told them what I thought of them. I doubt anyone was listening, but ot made me feel better.

[HitchinClaret]

I just had an automated call informing me that I have had a £300 payment to Amazon, and a £1000 overseas transfer.
Press 1......

I waited patiently until the end then told them what I thought of them. I doubt anyone was listening, but ot made me feel better.

I had this very same call about an hour ago. He must have been 20 seconds into his patter when I just starting laughing, he just told me to F Off then hung up the phone!

[HitchinClaret]

* mine wasn't automated but some bloke with a strong Indian accent called Michael.

[Bosscat]

Just had another "Deisel Emissions" call from a young Asian sounding lass called Simone? ...

This time they actually got the Year, Model and Registration number right of my car, so I asked what it was about ... she started going on and on about the scandal of a few years ago ...

So I asked her if she knew what a Citroen E-C4 was ... she said "no she didn't but I had a valid deisel emissions claim on the car" ... I laughed and asked her "why as it is an E-C4 I would want to claim for a 'Deisel Emissions' claim" ... she said I was due £1000's ... I laughed again and asked her again "did she she know what engine my E-C4 had" ... she again said "it was about claiming £1000's due to the deisel emissions scandal".

I said "look young lady a Citroen E-C4 does not have a deisel engine it has an electric motor and I charge the 50kw battery pack to drive it around not fill it with deisel" ...

Again she insisted I had a valid claim about the "Deisel Emissions" scandal.

At this point I cracked and said "Its a ****ing electric car you stupid moronic *****" and she hung up.

[mdd2]

I get loads of scam emails from bt and just send them on to the phishing email of BT
Never ever opening any attachments

[mdd2]

Also had the one email which would have made me very rich helping some poor soul but potentially very rich with my assistance to get his money out of Nigeria ( whilst I imagine emptying my bank account)

[Croydon Claret]

I got one wanting to talk about the "accident I'd had" Told them a camel had fallen out of a circus lorry. I wasn't too bothered about it but the Mrs had the hump

Their English wasn't good enough to know they were being wound up

[bfcjg]

Come on, they are not all scams !! All I'm saying is it's a good job Vincent didn't hang up when the caller in an "Allo Allo "accent said "Vincent, Bayern Munich here."

[whiffa]

File under frequent, common and simply block the number

[Rileybobs]

I have a weekend job as a scam caller and some of the abuse I get is so uncalled for. The people who waste my time leading me down the garden path to just hang up on me are the worst though. So annoying.

[Volvoclaret]

I just knew you were a Nigerian Prince

[1968claret]

I had similar to mkmel about 3 years ago and I noted the number too.
I actually rang HMRC to explain what had happened, gave them the number and they did the square root of **** all about it.

What exactly would you expect them to do?

[boatshed bill]

I would say around 90% of the calls I receive on my land line are scams or bullshit sales calls.

[Juan Tanamera]

What exactly would you expect them to do?

From experience?
The square root of **** all.

[Sheedyclaret]

Would you receive a call from HMRC via a mobile number?

You wouldn’t receive a call from HMRC at all it’s bad enough trying to contact them

[boatshed bill]

If you fill in a tax return leave your mobile phone number out, and anything else listed as optional.

[Cirrus_Minor]

I also received the same call as was described in the opening post. Obviously I did not follow any of their instructions, obviously a complete scam. But this sort of attack really gets me wound up. Scam calls, scam emails, scam texts, its like the wild West. People are getting defrauded on a regular basis and there seems to be little happening to stop it. The response from our law enforcers is flaccid at best. It is a major issue and yet I have not heard any political party mention it yet during the election. Even the BBC have been able to stop some awful, quite blazen, scams by a small team of tech experts in their, 'Scam interceptor' programme. Why can't our police do this on a bigger scale? Where is the international effort to break this? Most of these criminals seem to be from India (mainly) or African States. Surely some political/diplomatic pressure with these countries would at least have some effect.

[mybloodisclaret]

I enjoy the HMRC voicemail where they say a warrant has been issued for my arrest. Always makes me chuckle that one.

Proper jokers.

[leedsdave]

I would say around 90% of the calls I receive on my land line are scams or bullshit sales calls.

I had the same problem so I got rid of the landline. I had been getting more and more fed up with Virginmedia and their incessant price increases so it also gave me the opportunity to change my broadband provider at the same time.

[1968claret]

From experience?
The square root of **** all.

Not really an answer that. I getvthat they have issues with there customer services, but genuine question. What could they and indeed any other organisation do about these scams?
Other than warn people that they wouldn't contact you in this way, not sure what more can be done. The scammers are usually in other countries. If you close one phone line down another one just pops up?