HMRC Phone SCAM

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

Afternoon all,

Just a quick FYI in case you don't already know about this scam. I know a number of members buy from abroad.

I received a phone message today saying that the HMRC had opened a law suit against me and that I should press 1 to speak to a case officer. I have not done that and neither should anyone.

More info here.

Ed.

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

I'm always surprised that people fall for things like this. I caught my wife about to read her card details out over the phone. I asked to speak to however it was. It turned out to be an unpaid utility bill that we hadn't received for some reason. It took them a while to convince me that they were who they said they were but they did understand my reluctance.

These days we generally don't answer the phone if we don't recognise the number on caller display. The silly calls of one sort or another have dropped right off. I did notice that they often increased when I sent a parcel some where using parcel2go or parcelmonkey. Not sure what to make of this but it happened so often I now make a mistake when typing it out.

John

–

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

The best thing I've done for my wife was to buy a couple of years ago a BT Guardian phone system, my wife was getting 10+ calls a day from Scam to automated systems dialing but now we sit in peace a quiet and if they need to speak to us all they have to do is answer a question and the system lets the call through and I can still block it if I want to.

Martin P

[charadamParticipant @charadam]

The Telephone Preference Service (http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html) has reduced the nuisance calls I receive at home to a trickle.

It is free to register your numbers.

"It is a legal requirement that all organisations (including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties) do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS unless they have your consent to do so".

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Our number is on the telephone preference service and also on the I don't want silent phone calls one. Those have been used to find out when there is usually some one about to answer.

Both services work with some limitations – calls from overseas etc and it doesn't seem to stop others all of the time either.

John

–

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by charadam on 10/08/2016 18:12:28:

The Telephone Preference Service (http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html) has reduced the nuisance calls I receive at home to a trickle.

It is free to register your numbers.

"It is a legal requirement that all organisations (including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties) do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS unless they have your consent to do so".

Hasn't worked very well for me but I now have a number I can dial after a nuisance call that blocks them.

Neil

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

These advertisers have been at it for donkeys years with the phone scams, problem is my landline is practically redundant, anyone who wants to get hold of you rings your mobile. If it weren't for emergency numbers you could argue the unthinkable in years gone by and do without one altogether.

They've turned this circus into a competitive sport and they should be hammered for it, they are routinely breaking the law and then some.

There are some studious people out there who gather evidence against these corporations and i wouldn't be surprised if it leads to some big lawsuits in years to come. 

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 10/08/2016 19:14:27

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

TPS is about as useful as a sieve is for holding water

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Kicked my land line into touch a couple of months ago only the PPI people were using it

Nice thing about the mobile it's just one click to block a caller if you do get one.

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Posted by Harry Wilkes on 10/08/2016 21:18:00:

TPS is about as useful as a sieve is for holding water

We've been on for longer than I can remember. I wonder if it's some where they get the numbers from. The silent phone call one did work well but I think those may have gone out of fashion.

If we answer which isn't that often now unless we have an idea who it is and its a legit company who usually say ahhhh we have had contact etc I get very loud and tell them to take the number of their list. Then add more reasonably that I know that it's not the person I am talking to that is at fault but we don't want unsolicited phone calls and if we want anything off them we will be in touch. Seems to work. Also asking where they got the number from.

PPI dropped off long ago around here. But had a few on the answer phone a couple of weeks ago.

John

–

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Problem with ignoring calls you don't recognise is that they can be genuine.

Mobile flagged a 0845 incoming number today and was in two minds to ignore it but turned out to be a nice lady from UPS to tell me a shipment has stuck in customs due to the paperwork being wrong.

Soon sorted but ignoring it would have meant I didn't get my stuff.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, I very rarely answer any calls that I don't recognise the number of, but the other evening got caught out, the caller asked if I was available to speak too, I simple said, no not this evening, and they politely said OK sorry to trouble you and hung up. I was confident that they were trying to sell me something, as I am not expecting anything to arrive from anywhere in the world nor am I anticipating winning any kinda competition and anyone that I would know would have known it was me speaking, so wouldn't have asked for me by my full name.

Regards Nick.

[Bernard WrightParticipant @bernardwright25932]

Got a call tonight 21:00 from an 020 number on my mobile, the mobile listed it as 'Scam or Fraud', so blocked both calls and messages from that number, these phones are brilliant nowadays..

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

i basically assume that if some one really wants to speak to us they will use the answer phone. So far that seems to have worked out as the daft calls just hang up when it comes on.

Trouble is that if I don't answer I have no idea who called if they don't leave a message. I really worry about that.

A number of calls hang up just before it answers. Think it's on 8 rings as if in we can always answer in that time and see what's on caller display. I've toyed with the idea of reducing the number 'cause I'm pretty sure they are from call centres. Surely there must be some charge if they actually connect.

John

–

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

My wife's answer is to say, 'Whats my name' and , 'Click' they have gone!

Clive

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

After a claims firm disclosed my details I was inundated with dodgy calls, even, the irony, one claiming to be the TPS :-/

[Author]

Posts