HMRC Scam

Another unpleasant example of the HMRC telephone scam. Here the victim lives in Maidenhead, was elderly and very vulnerable, she was visibly shaken by the call.

The aggrieved received a phone call, from someone who identified himself as Officer Fredrick Wilson from the Inland Revenue, asking for £5,025 in unpaid tax from between 1973-2017.

When the aggrieved said she was unable to pay that amount, he told her that the police, would be round to her home within 15 minutes, to arrest her.

He even gave her the following arrest numbers "RC 47853" " SL 748 3A 9B" & "case file KL909 381CA41".

The aggrieved was so distressed, she put the phone down and phoned a trusted friend, who called the police.

Fortunately, no money or personal information was given.

This is a standard, very unpleasant scam call, which is happening right across the country. Please tell everyone you know, to be aware of this scam and not to fall for it.

When answering the phone, the only word you say is ‘Hello’, no name or telephone number. The calls have been made by a computer generating sets of random digits in the hope that they are genuine telephone numbers. If a phone rings and is answered it is passed to a scammer in a call handling centre.

Generally, people are not targeted personally. The computer generates random numbers and dials them 10 at a time. If one rings, the computer stores it on another database of ‘live numbers’ for sale or use next time. If someone answers, again, the number is moved to another database of ‘answered calls’ - much more valuable for sale purposes. If that person then ‘engages’ in any way, the number is moved to yet another database - the most valuable - possible engagers. They may not fall for this particular scam, but perhaps may fall for another.

SO - when you pick up a phone, the only thing you say is ‘hello’ - minimal engagement. Let the person on the other end do the talking. If you have not generated the call, or are not interested - SIMPLY PUT THE PHONE DOWN. It is not rude - you did not ask them to call you !

You have a live number, but want to be recorded as a ‘NON ENGAGER’ !