Look out for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) tax rebate scam

[StoneRoad]

For the third time this month (so far) I've had an automated call telling me to press a specific number to claim my sky refund.

Last month it was refunds on shipping charges from amazon ! I got four of those ...

 

[StoneRoad]

Then it later turned out that our two year warranty had expired on our 18 year old washing machine. The line went dead after I told them how old it was.

Just about the time of the last washing machine recalls, we had several weeks when we got loads of domestic machine warranty related calls.

 

[eoin_k]

I got a phishing phone call a couple of weeks back claiming to be HMRC and saying they had opened a tax fraud case against me - and another one received about half an hour later.

You can report these scams on the HMRC gov site

I briefly fell for that one... sort of. At least, the missed call prompted me to call HMRC. By the time I got through the penny had dropped, but I stayed on the line. Flagged up a change in circumstances and got out of doing two years of tax returns!

I really want to send a big thank you to the scammers for prompting me to sort this out, but don't know how to.

 

[maomao]

Well it's a badly worded text and I filed and paid back in May, so I don't know why they bothered.

Well they do say thank you if youve already paid. And it's probably cheaper and quicker to just send them to everyone than select groups.

 

[ginger_syn]

I just had one of these saying i was being done for tax fraud and evasion, will be reporting it.

 

[platinumsage]

Well they do say thank you if youve already paid. And it's probably cheaper and quicker to just send them to everyone than select groups.

That sentence doesn’t make sense. Are they thanking me because I’ve already paid, or are they thanking me if I’ve already paid?

That’s not the only part which is weird. You’d think with all the scams happening by text in their name that they wouldn’t perpetuate a view that they can’t string a sentence together.

 

[maomao]

That sentence doesn’t make sense. Are they thanking me because I’ve already paid, or are they thanking me if I’ve already paid?

That’s not the only part which is weird. You’d think with all the scams happening by text in their name that they wouldn’t perpetuate a view that they can’t string a sentence together.

It's brief due to the nature of the medium. That type of language has been in use since the invention of the telegram. Give everyone a kick up the arse while acknowledging that some may already have paid. They have probably calculated that the benefit of a reminder to the majority outweighs annoyance to a small number of wannabe pedants who can't deal with anything other than formal written English.

 

[nogojones]

Well it's a badly worded text and I filed and paid back in May, so I don't know why they bothered.

I got one of these txts as well, even though I filed and paid a month or so ago. They never confirmed receipt of payment so I looked back in today just to check and it looks like I'm in credit.

They never go out of their way to make your life easy

 

[platinumsage]

It's brief due to the nature of the medium. That type of language has been in use since the invention of the telegram. Give everyone a kick up the arse while acknowledging that some may already have paid. They have probably calculated that the benefit of a reminder to the majority outweighs annoyance to a small number of wannabe pedants who can't deal with anything other than formal written English.

My GP manages to send perfectly clear and concise texts. It's not exactly difficult to avoid using ambiguous language.

I've blocked them now, so I can safely ignore any future HMRC stuff via text. They have my address, my email address, and I know better than they do how much tax I have or should be paying.

Meanwhile loads of people continue to lose thousands of pounds thanks to HMRC's mess of a system meaning scammers can hook people so easily.

 

[danski]

My GP manages to send perfectly clear and concise texts. It's not exactly difficult to avoid using ambiguous language, is it Reeves?

I've blocked them now, so I can safely ignore any future HMRC stuff via text. They have my address, my email address, and I know better than they do how much tax I have or should be paying, Reeves.

Meanwhile loads of people continue to lose thousands of pounds thanks to HMRC's mess of a system meaning scammers can hook people so easily, Reeves.

You are Graham Lister and I claim my five pounds.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Had the following one yesterday.


UK GOV Grant <info@play90.gr>
09/11/2020 09:06
1




Show image
Support Scheme Grant Extension
The UK Government recognises the continued impact that coronavirus (COVID-19)
has had and has taken action to provide support. The Support Scheme Grant Extension
provides critical support in the form of two grants, each available for three month periods.
The first grant will cover a three-month period and will be capped at £3,750 in total.
The scheme for government grant has been approved for xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The money are set to land in your bank accounts within six working days of making the claim.
Claim now >

--U1GZ1--
From HMRC Government Gateway

This alone should tell you that it is bollocks.

 

[Sasaferrato]

I just got this text from 60886

It stinks of scam but can't see how it could be as it has no links in it

"HMRC: Thanks for filing your tax return. Please pay by 31 Jan deadline. If you need help to pay, search HMRC payment plan on Gov UK. Already paid, thank you."

That is kosher.

 

[Sasaferrato]

I briefly fell for that one... sort of. At least, the missed call prompted me to call HMRC. By the time I got through the penny had dropped, but I stayed on the line. Flagged up a change in circumstances and got out of doing two years of tax returns!

I really want to send a big thank you to the scammers for prompting me to sort this out, but don't know how to.

My neighbour was complaining he was on hold to HMRC for twenty minutes, the look on his face when I remarked 'Yes, they are a bit, it took three rings before PD1* picked up' was little short of murderous.

PD1, Public Department 1, deal with the likes of Beckham, Elton John etc, they also deal with current and ex HMRC employees. Last time I called them, I couldn't remember whether I'd had a'Notice to File' or not, the guy asked a few questions then took me out of SA.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I just got this text from 60886

It stinks of scam but can't see how it could be as it has no links in it

"HMRC: Thanks for filing your tax return. Please pay by 31 Jan deadline. If you need help to pay, search HMRC payment plan on Gov UK. Already paid, thank you."

60886 is the number they send your access code from when you try to get on to the HMRC website, so blocking it may cause problems logging in next time.

don't know how easy it is to fake the number a text message appears to be coming from.

I've not had anything like that, but I no longer have to do self assessment / tax return.

Sounds more crappy than scam

 

[cupid_stunt]

I got a phishing phone call a couple of weeks back claiming to be HMRC and saying they had opened a tax fraud case against me ....

I've had one of these this morning, saying a tax fraud had been registered against me and if I didn't press 1 to discuss it, a warrant would be issued for my arrest, because of lockdown boredom I decided to have a play, the conversation was basically....

HMRC how can I help you?

Surely, you mean how can I help you?

Sorry sir, I don't understand.

Well you phoned me.

I didn't phone you.

Not you personally, but I had a call from this number and was told to press 1 to resolve the matter.

What matter is that, sir?

You tell me, you're the people that called me.

I need to know why we contacted you, and take some details from you?

You're not very good at this, are you?

I am trying to help you sir?

No, I am trying to help you, by pressing 1 as requested.

I need to take some details from you, sir.

Sorry, who are you again?

HMRC, sir.

Sure you are, and I am a banana.

At which point he hang up on me.

For reference the phone number was 01484 394257, and I've reported them to HMRC.

 

[Argonia]

I've had one of these this morning, saying a tax fraud had been registered against me and if I didn't press 1 to discuss it, a warrant would be issued for my arrest, because of lockdown boredom I decided to have a play, the conversation was basically....

HMRC how can I help you?

Surely, you mean how can I help you?

Sorry sir, I don't understand.

Well you phoned me.

I didn't phone you.

Not you personally, but I had a call from this number and was told to press 1 to resolve the matter.

What matter is that, sir?

You tell me, you're the people that called me.

I need to know why we contacted you, and take some details from you?

You're not very good at this, are you?

I am trying to help you sir?

No, I am trying to help you, by pressing 1 as requested.

I need to take some details from you, sir.

Sorry, who are you again?

HMRC, sir.

Sure you are, and I am a banana.

At which point he hang up on me.

For reference the phone number was 01484 394257, and I've reported them to HMRC.

Huddersfield

 

[SpookyFrank]

Had one of these just a day or two after submitting my tax return.

Luckily I wasn't fooled. I know you can't get a tax rebate if you never pay any tax.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Huddersfield

There's no way in knowing nowadays, because you can buy a virtual geographic number for any area, no matter where you are actually located, these scam calls are normally then rooted to an overseas call centre.

 

[two sheds]

There's no way in knowing nowadays, because you can buy a virtual geographic number for any area, no matter where you are actually located, these scam calls are normally then rooted to an overseas call centre.

Why do they allow that? I can't think of a reason apart from allowing subscribers to try to scam people.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Had one of these just a day or two after submitting my tax return.

Luckily I wasn't fooled. I know you can't get a tax rebate if you never pay any tax.

I expect there'll be a spike of scam calls and texts around this time of year.

I just got notification of a tax rebate from HMRC this morning, but I was expecting it (eta: the one I mentioned in my first post on this thread actually) and it was in a letter with my NI and UTR too, which doesn't ask me to do anything, so I am fairly confident it is legit. Never know though

 

[cupid_stunt]

Why do they allow that? I can't think of a reason apart from allowing subscribers to try to scam people.

I know businesses that operate over wide areas, but have several numbers with various local codes, as people tend to like to call numbers local to them.

 

[two sheds]

Well that answers that.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Why do they allow that? I can't think of a reason apart from allowing subscribers to try to scam people.

I can call you from my 0203 number from anywhere in the world by using the phone system on my laptop, so codes mean nothing anymore. I had the same one as cupid_stunt yesterday, from an 0151 Liverpool number, received pronunciation and didn't tell me to calm down once, so that raised suspicions, if I didn't press 1 I would be arrested. Failed to press 1, should I go down nick and hand myself in?

 

[Argonia]

I can call you from my 0203 number from anywhere in the world by using the phone system on my laptop, so codes mean nothing anymore. I had the same one as cupid_stunt yesterday, from an 0151 Liverpool number, received pronunciation and didn't tell me to calm down once, so that raised suspicions, if I didn't press 1 I would be arrested. Failed to press 1, should I go down nick and hand myself in?

Hand yourself in old chap. It's game over for you now.

 

[cupid_stunt]

This video shows what big business these scam callers are, this call centre sent out around 50k voicemails a day, and got 10-15k people calling back. They were raided by 200 cops, who detained the 700 working in that centre at the time, and that was just one branch in a bigger operation.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I can call you from my 0203 number from anywhere in the world by using the phone system on my laptop, so codes mean nothing anymore. I had the same one as cupid_stunt yesterday, from an 0151 Liverpool number, received pronunciation and didn't tell me to calm down once, so that raised suspicions, if I didn't press 1 I would be arrested. Failed to press 1, should I go down nick and hand myself in?

Save the strain on the courts and just shut yourself up in one place for a year.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Save the strain on the courts and just shut yourself up in one place for a year.

It's a decent suggestion, and perhaps we could all have the last 12 months in lieu of a future offence, but I've already plugged an ounce of snout.

 

[cupid_stunt]

LOL - my accountant has received a call this afternoon, that a tax fraud had been registered against her and she's facing arrest.

ETA - perhaps it's connected to my case?

 

[Sasaferrato]

LOL - my accountant has received a call this afternoon, that a tax fraud had been registered against her and she's facing arrest.

ETA - perhaps it's connected to my case?

Dodgy people these accountants.

I had never heard of Seth Lakeman until I called him up re his Self Assessment, he gave me his accountant's number.

When I called the accountant, I asked if Lakeman actually had the cash to pay. It was this point I discovered that he was actually quite well known and successful.

Seth Lakeman - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Pickman's model]

Be alert