New(ish) phone scam.

[Techno]

Had one of these today....And I'd not heard of this particular one...Though apparently it's been going for a little while.

Targeted at the elderly... So it might be worth passing on to anyone you might feel could do with 'the tip'.

Basically an automated message, purporting to come from HMCR...."This is the HMRC, we're informing you that we have filed a lawsuit against you.....please call back urgently, blah blah, blah." (I didn't listen to the whole message...I just put the phone down.)

Obviously trying to get all your details so that they can fleece you.

Could sound quite intimidating to some folk, and get them bothered enough to phone back, and get conned.

Cheers - Phil

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Not had one of those yet. Few years back there was a scam saying you were owed a rebate, delivered by email. Very clever, the help button put you on to the revenue site. Just be careful out there.

[Techno]

I got a second one....I listened to the message the whole way through this time.

It ends with, "Press 1 to speak to the case officer," (so he can get all your bank details.)
As it was the same number (allegedly) calling again, I passed that number onto the HMRC's 'phishing' dept.

There's a warning on their site about this (and other) scams they're aware of.

These people are SO frigging evil !!

Cheers - Mr Cross.

[Leman]

Thanks very much Mr. Cross.  I had a call from a very distinctly Asian gentleman the other day. His parents, for some unfathomable reason, had named him Anthony. I hung up immediately.

[SV52]

Thanks for the heads up.  Had e-mails but so far no calls.

[Techno]

Since I posted about this number (01618503863) on the 'who called me' website.....They've had 130 or more searches.....and umpteen comments.

All exactly the same 'con'...apparently some folk have spoken to a 'real person' from this number, who has been particularly abusive, and frightened a couple of elderly ladies....

"If you don't pay up on the tax you've owed since 1998, the police will be around to arrest you in half an hour." 

SNARL !!! 

Cheers - Phil

[d_Guy]

Unless we are expecting a call from a specific person at a specific time we never answer any of our phones these days. That's how bad it is. Ever single scam message (or phishing email for that mater) we receive, I report to some higher authority. Shame to have to operate this way but the electronic highways are fraught with scum and parasites.

We have been threatened with seizure of our home, vehicles, bank accounts;  cancelation of our insurance, social security, drivers licenses, credit cards; termination of our power, water, gas, and, unbelievably, our mail service; and, of course, imminent arrest by various "local" authorities.

Some poor people, usually elderly, succumb to these threats.  I believe these perpetrators should be prosecuted under our terrorist laws or - when isolated - visited by a SEAL team.

Obviously you have hit a nerve!

[Fenton]

Had one of these today....And I'd not heard of this particular one...Though apparently it's been going for a little while.

Targeted at the elderly... So it might be worth passing on to anyone you might feel could do with 'the tip'.

Basically an automated message, purporting to come from HMCR...."This is the HMRC, we're informing you that we have filed a lawsuit against you.....please call back urgently, blah blah, blah." (I didn't listen to the whole message...I just put the phone down.)

Obviously trying to get all your details so that they can fleece you.

Could sound quite intimidating to some folk, and get them bothered enough to phone back, and get conned.

Cheers - Phil

Yeah we know this one The relevant people are looking into it

[Norm]

Thanks for heads up.

I no longer click on anything that is sent to me or speak to anyone who phones me who I don't know.

Shame really and no doubt I am missing on some genuine callers who have £10,000 to give me but my upbringing to answer when questioned / spoken to etc is getting increasingly easy to supress.

We are in fact assailed from all sides, even from the 'good'. I went to a reputable high street store today and bought bag, handed over cash, the sales assistant said ' can I have your e-mail for your e-receipt'.   

[FierceKitty]

I make a point of being aggressive and unhelpful to telemarketers these days. The world should follow my example.

Same manner towards missionaries.

[Fenton]

Sadly for most telemarketers and I have done it at times when money was short is that they are just trying to make something like a living. The money is never great and a lot is commission only I have  never met anyone doing the job who wanted to do it long term. So I would never be rude to them as they are  just people trying to make a few quid

[Subedai]

In the past few weeks I have received about ten emails from the HMRC saying that I am due for a tax refund, the thing is the amounts are always differnt. I can understand the HMRC getting things wrong but not so consistently wrong.

I have also had several calls asking me about my 'car accident' Point One: I don't drive and Point Two: I haven't been in any knid of vehicular accident. These people must have a hotline that us mere mortals cannot channel into -luckily for us. I just tell them I am a subscriber to the Telephone Prefernce Service and ask them to remove my number from their records. I too have tried to sell over the phone and it is a very thankless task.

The other one I can't stand and that is irritating me more than anything is the cals you get saying that there is something wrong with your computer, landline or internet, also in a distinctly Asian sounding voice but obviously with Anglo-Saxon ancestry. To these I either ask them to hang on so they can talk to the bill payer and leave them hanging for a while or just tell them -politely of course- where they can shove their scam. 

[SV52]

Any threatening calls will receive a full broadside from me, not what the rich call prayers shall we say 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

The line "Oh my god, the blood, it's everywhere..."usually results in a quick hang up!

[FierceKitty]

Sadly for most telemarketers and I have done it at times when money was short is that they are just trying to make something like a living. The money is never great and a lot is commission only I have  never met anyone doing the job who wanted to do it long term. So I would never be rude to them as they are  just people trying to make a few quid

A plague bacillus is also just trying to make a living.