The ‘Arrest Warrant Scam’
Fraudsters are ‘cloning’ the HMRC phone number in what is being termed as the ‘arrest warrant scam’
The number appears to be a genuine HMRC call but is actually a scam to persuade people to transfer cash.
The official income tax helpline for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is being used to threaten victims by claiming warrants have been issued for their arrest because of unpaid taxes.
People who use the web to check the number – usually 0300 200 3300 – are finding the top Google result confirms it belongs to HMRC.
Some phones will automatically display the number as “HM Revenue & Customs”.
Despite the apparently legitimate number, the call is actually from fraudsters.