HMRC hoax
Neighbourhood Watch Message
From Jo Batt
Suspected Telephone Scams
There were two incidents of suspected telephone scams reported to the police on 17th October.
An elderly lady in Stonehouse was contacted by telephone by a female with a foreign accent who claimed that they owed the HM Revenue and Customs £1286 for unpaid taxes from 2005 and 2006. The caller also stated that a warrant had been issued for her arrest and she was given a number to call and a reference number to quote. The matter has been reported to Action Fraud as it is believed to be a hoax.
A similar incident took place in Matson Gloucester when at about midday another lady received a call from a man calling himself Peter who claimed to be from HM Revenue and Customs. He stated the lady owed £1286 in unpaid taxes but could pay using £500 of iTunes vouchers and that someone would call and collect the vouchers and advise on how to pay the remaining balance. The lady was advised not to tell anyone or they would be arrested and if they went to court they would be paying £47,000. The caller then said someone would ring back in an hour to confirm the lady had the voucher. No further call was received.
Please be aware that the HM Revenue and Customs will not contact you out of the blue like this regarding any tax arrears. Don’t give out private information (such as bank details or passwords), reply to text messages, download attachments or click on any links in emails if you’re not sure they’re genuine.
Report any attempted scam like this to Action Fraud at http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ or by calling 0300 123 2040
This is the end of the message
Stroud Police Station, Parliament Street, Stroud, Glos,GL5 1QQ
Personal 01452 753545
Group 01452 753500
Force Control Room 101