The OFT is warning the public about a new scam, after being contacted by concerned residents.
It would appear that fraudsters purporting to be from HM Revenue & Customs (‘HMRC’) are telephoning residents and ‘phishing’ for personal and/or financial details. They are very convincing and will use various scare tactics to get your attention. For example, they may claim that they will take you to court if you don’t settle an outstanding bill.
Please warn your family, friends and neighbours about this scam.
John Peet, Chief Inspector of Trading Standards, says:
'Our advice is simple. Do not engage with these fraudsters. Just put the phone down on them. They are trying to obtain personal and/or financial details from you which will enable them to carry out further fraudulent activities.'
Information and advice on this particular scam can be found at https://www.gov.uk/topic/dealing-with-hmrc/phishing-scams.
Further information and advice on ‘Scams’ in general can be found under the ‘Consumer Advice’ section on the OFT’s website /oft or by calling the Office on +44 1624 686500.
Action Fraud’s website http://www.actionfraud.police.uk is also an excellent source of information and advice about the many different types of scams and how to avoid them.
