One client’s experience this weekend! The world of the scammers gets closer.
We had a phone call from a client on Saturday saying that he had just finished a 90 minute phone call from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) who stated that they had performed a 5 yearly review of his accounts and that he had committed an offence under the Revenue code and that if he did not make an immediate payment then the police would be arriving within the hour to freeze his bank account and other assets. When he said that they must at least let him have time to talk to his accountant they said that his accountant would not want to speak to him as he was guilty of a criminal offence and this would reflect badly on their reputation. When he stated that he could not make an immediate payment he was told that action had been temporarily halted whilst he went to Sainsbury’s to purchase £1,000 worth of I-Tune vouchers and that he must then call them back.
The whole tone of the call was very threatening, and when the client called us he was very shaken. However, we were able to assure him from his description of the call that it was a scam. Various items made this clear to us:
- HMRC do not accept payment using I-Tune vouchers
- The police will never be involved in collecting unpaid tax
- Discrepancies in returns do not constitute criminal behaviour
- If HMRC suspect a discrepancy then they will always write to you asking for agreement or otherwise and to ask for an explanation. They will always send a copy to your registered agent, ie accountant
- HMRC will always allow you to talk to your agent
- HMRC will always tell you how to pay. They will never call and request personal details
- HMRC will never ring without notice and threaten immediate action unless you make immediate payment
You would never fall for this? Don’t be too sure. Our client is no fool, but he was taken in.
Details of this new scam are available at:
http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/news/alert-hmrc-and-itunes-gift-card-scam-may16
The scam originated in USA and was first used in this country only in May. However, the number of reported cases is growing rapidly
Whilst the details contained in the call can be changed very quickly, so lack of the following is no guarantee that the message is genuine, the following details were included within the calls:
- Name of caller – Heather Gray
- Other people – Officers Dave Roberts and Patel
- Telephone numbers – 01202 281260, 0121 790 0214 (neither number is actually in use)
Since receiving the call on Saturday our client has received a further two calls to date, including one when he was actually calling HMRC about this matter from his mobile.
You should never provide personal details such as pin numbers or passwords over the phone, and any request for such information immediately makes the call suspicious. Our advice to clients who have any suspicions that a call may not be genuine is to:
- Tell the caller that you are taking advice
- Immediately put the phone down
- Contact us
- Use a different phone to contact anyone who will require personal information before speaking to you, such as your bank