Tax Office phone scam

These scammers are getting so clever, they seem to be one step ahead every time. You really have to have your wits about you to recognise them.

I was caught out with a call from my mobile provider saying I was such a valued customer, would I like extra data and calls. I never use up all of my allowance but said 'well, if it's free I'll have it, even though I won't use it. What I then missed was them saying very quickly and unintelligibly that I'd be signing up for a new 2 year contract. I was due for a free upgrade the next month so they very cleverly avoided having to give me a new mobile! At least I'll be able to upgrade in August this year.

I got the same phone call last year but was quick to ask if it meant taking out a new contract - when they said yes I very quickly declined their 'kind' offer!

That tax phone scam is a thing in Canada, too, sadly. We got such a call. But we avoided being scammed by contact the revenue agency directly and determining that there was nothing owing on our accounts.

Oh definitely Agnurse.

Always go to your search engine and contact gov.uk (here in the uk, or where ever,) directly.

The problem is that I think I would have been so spooked I might have just pressed the convenient button as advised.

I read something from Which that gave different Tax phone scams, and as it’s January and time for Tax to be done, there are a lot at this time of the year apparently. They frighten people by saying they have committed a criminal offence etc.

I had the same phone call. I just had to laugh, it was so ridiculous. Of course, other people in different circumstances might not have found it funny. It's a pity it was a recorded message because it would have been nice to make a comment to the caller.
I remember getting one of those ones about my computer having a fault and asking 'Which computer?' The caller then asked how many I had so I added up my laptop, my husband's, the desktop and the several old and disused ones, and replied 'Nine'. He was totally flummoxed and wanted to know if he had inadvertantly phoned a business. Poor lad!

It's not the Tax Office scam, but recently, on a daily basis I've had a call from, supposedly, BT saying in a very monosyllabic voice, that my internet is about to be cut off!!! The number is slightly different every day, and yesterday it was a number with our local std code.
I find it laughable that they keep trying. They obviously don't do research, or they are would know that BT do not provide our internet.

I've been plagued by these BT calls recently MiniMoon so now I am leaving the answerphone on all the time.
Another new scam yesterday, - this time a text message on my mobile, supposedly from DVLA questioning my Car Tax. I was careful not to click on the link. My son checked it later on Google and it defiinitely is a scam.
What is the matter with these people???

The sad thing is that although many of us laugh at how stupid we think the scammers are they become ever more sophisticated & believable. There are always those people who are less savvy and get caught out by clicking on a link or replying to a phone call or email.

Good grief. As if any sane person would believe that HMRC or any legitimate company operates in that manner...unbelievable!
Individuals who fall for scams are their own worst enemy.
There is enough info out there, online, in newspapers, on tv and radio, to sink a ship.
All you do is check with the company in a separate phone call say...15minutes after the scam call, if you really are confused.

There are many people who are very trusting & find it incomprehensible that this sort of thing goes on, they need support & encouragement to realise that it does, not scathing criticism GG54

Bridgeit
It's all out there and has been for years.
What more could or should be done to get the message through?
Presumably most people watch tv or read newspapers and many older people have AC and GC who would be able to advise.
We're talking about individuals who are otherwise reasonably compos mentis and haven't lived in a news-free bubble all their lives.

Obviously people fall for it or they wouldn't do it. No point coming over all superior and no empathy.

The ones I really don't understand are the ones from your bank or the police saying there is fraud and you need to move your money. How can they possibly know who you bank with and that you have a lot in that bank? It can only be because of fraud within the bank. It is simply not feasible to call lots of numbers guessing who bank with which bank and who has a large amount of money in said bank. They have about as much chance of finding someone with a lot of money in xxxx bank as I have of winning the lottery/premium bonds!

IMO Your post sounded a little scathing (or unaware) of the fact that there are still many vulnerable trusting people who do fall prey to scams. Perhaps you have not encountered this in your journey through life.

Post ref /toGG

I think in the heat of the moment, when threatened with arrest, many people might panic and succumb.

On the other hand, yesterday I deleted a text which I assumed was bad, but when I went to the bank this morning, I was told it was not a fraud, and they will in fact text messages quoting the last 4 digits of a debit card.

Ahh ,Persitentdonor, I can empathise with you, it seems like we have to be one step ahead all of the time.
I have stopped answering calls that I don’t recognise, but I do know quite a few people who don’t have call recognition.

Sadly it has gotten to a point where they have had to put a sign on gift card kiosks stating that the Canadian Revenue Agency (and others) don't accept payment in iTunes gift cards or any other gift cards. I believe cashiers are also being educated about the scams so that they can identify customers who may be buying large amounts of gift cards, and are aware to check to ensure the customer isn't the victim of a scam.

Fine Bridgeit but it could be a genuine call. I have been getting genuine calls from 'Private Number' and they are important. I have no idea why a bank does that but it is genuine, it is about my complaint so nothing to gain for them.

The married daughter of a friend had one of those, and it caused terrible anxiety. Even though the had always kept things straight. In fact I think they were PAYE. And not well off. Both teachers.
They got it sorted in the end.