FIRST IN FROM RBWM COMMUNITY WARDEN CLIVE DENT - who does fraud and Scam talks with Honor Ryan from Trading Standards and myself:
Hello
I gave a scam talk last night to The Alzheimers Dementia Support Group, at Dedworth Baptist Church.
Sadly, I met another HMRC scam victim.
This person, has lost over £10,000 last year!
Now that the banks are tightening up their procedures re the Banking Protocol, this victim was asked to pay - with gift cards.
It is interesting to note that the scammers who were traditionally men, are now using women, to front their scams.
The victim said the fake HMRC caller was in fact a woman who was, “very kind and helpful”, she feels embarrassed by the whole event. I said that is how the scammers operate by putting the fear of arrest into their minds.
Below is her own account of what happened.
Regards
Clive Dent
Communities, Enforcement & Partnerships,
Tel: 01628 685636
Mobile Number: 07855 517295
The aggrieved reports:
In September 2019, I received a call from HMRC. They said I owed them £987 tax for the period 1958 - 1988 when I was an employee at a bank. They said if I didn’t pay up, they would increase the amount, by adding interest for all that time.
I must not tell anyone about the call, which frightened me and he gave me an HMRC Code number. The case was going to be heard at HM County Court. And they gave me a contact name and telephone number. When I rang the number it did respond - Inland Revenue.
The man told me to withdraw the money and purchase an Amazon Gift Card or Google Play Cards. I had to scratch off the silver strip from the back and give him the code number - which I did.
He went on to say the Court charges had increased and in the end, I sent him £10,000.
I was afraid that I would be arrested and finally, went into Maidenhead police station and gave them the receipts for the money I had paid over, so that I wouldn’t be arrested. They informed me that it had all been a scam !
I have put in this much detail, so that if ever you hear anything like this, you will immediately know it is a scam - and put the phone down.
DON’T DO IT - DON’T LET IT BE YOU.
NEXT: a scam telephone call reported to Action Fraud, purporting to be from Amazon:
The aggrieved was phoned twice, by a woman who did not speak fluent English.
She said the aggrieved’s bank card, had been used by someone in Devon, who had tried to use her account, to purchase £400 worth of goods from Amazon.
The phone numbers displayed on my phone when they called, were obviously fake, as when I tried to ring them back, they were unobtainable
I did not reply to the second call, which came immediately after first.
She then phoned Amazon to see if it was real. They confirmed the account had not been compromised and have confirmed their conversation and confirmation in an email.
NEVER TAKE ANYTHING SOMEONE TELLS YOU ON THE PHONE AS TRUTH. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO THEY ARE. JUST BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY ARE FROM HMRC / AMAZON / PAYPAL / THAMES VALLEY POLICE / WHOEVER - JUST PUT THE PHONE DOWN
DON’T DO IT, DON’T LET IT BE YOU
CRIME
MAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:
maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk4/3 Wednesday 10.30 p.m. Grassy Lane. An offender has attempted to remove a wing mirror from a car. Another has been smashed.
4/3 Wednesday 9 a.m. / 10.a.m. High Street. 8 parcels stolen from a delivery van.
5/3 Thursday midnight / 0.25 a.m. Bridge Street. The owner found a man inside his car, parked in a secure car park. The car had been searched and the offender had stolen items on him. The police were called and attended immediately - a man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and going equipped.
RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
5/3 - 6/3 Thursday 10 p.m. / Friday 6.45 a.m. Evenlode. Car driver’s side doorlock forced. Car searched, nothing stolen.
MAIDENHEAD WEST
maidenheadwestnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBISHAM, COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:
4/3 - 5/3 Wednesday 11 p.m./ Thursday 9.45 a.m. Bainhurst Cottages, Coronation Road, Littlewick Green. Shed break. Door forced - fishing gear stolen.
5/3 Thursday midnight / 3 p.m. Grubwood Lane, Cookham. Attempted garage break. Tool marks around the frame. No entry gained.
4/3 - 5/3 Wednesday 9.15 p.m. / Thursday 7.10 a.m. Coronation Road, Littlewick Green. Two cars on the driveway entered and searched, Drills and Iphone stolen from one, cash from the other.
PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
4/3 - 5/3 Wednesday 5 p.m./ Thursday 9 a.m. Shed break, padlock cut from door. 2 lawnmowers stolen.
3/3 - 5/3 Tuesday noon / Thursday 9 a.m. Someone has thrown a stolen through a window casing it to smash.
MAIDENHEAD SOUTH
maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK:
4/3 Wednesday 11.45 p.m. Suffolk Road. Car broken into caught on CCTV. A man sitting inside searching the car. Cash stolen
OLDFIELD, BRAY & HOLYPORT:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
MEMBERS’ COMMENTS:
First From Lindsey:
Hi
You may well have seen this scam before, but just thought I’d send it on just in case it was new to you, or you’d like to remind your readers.
This scam looks very authentic, but is in fact a scam. Note the fact that it's not addressed to me as a person, and the email address is not from the UK and is nothing to do with TV licensing !
Kind regards Lindsey
The email says that her TV Licence expires on 07 03 2020. It even contains a ‘Licence number and expiry date - as well as payment method - Direct Debit.
The LINK takes you to a page where you have to complete your name, bank details address, contact numbers etc. etc.
Surely - if you pay a Licence Fee, they have this information
