Beware of HOAX HMRC Calls

Jamie Collins

Cyber Wise Pro
23/08/2016

Business owner receives a suspicious phone call from “HMRC” informing them that they owed a large sum of money.

We recently received a phone call from one of our clients who received a suspicious phone call from HMRC. The phone call was an automated message informing them that they owed tax. The client noted the phone number which allowed us to check it against a number of websites that allow users to register suspicious phone calls. The number had been registered a number of times with many of the sites reporting it as a hoax.

The Phone Call was part of a criminal act known as a phishing scheme

“Phishing” is where criminals use fake emails and phone calls that look authentic, they are used to trick people into providing their confidential information. Phishing is a growing criminal act and we ask everyone to ensure they are looking out for any suspicious emails or phone calls. If you receive a suspicious email or phone call from HMRC you can contact them directly with your enquiry. HMRC are very serious with phishing and hoax’s and will act promptly to your call. If your team are unaware of the dangers of criminal acts such as phishing contact us to discover our Cyber Wise programme which will empower your team against emerging threats.

What to check when you receive suspicious emails and phone calls

HMRC have pages about phishing and hoax’s that they have been informed about - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phishing-and-bogus-emails-hm-revenue-and-customs-examples Any suspicious phone calls contact HMRC directly and check the number on - Unknown Phone.

If you need any more help, feel free to call our IT team on 0161 476 8276 or email it@hallidays.co.uk

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