HMRC SCAM ALERT WARNING
Halton Borough Council is warning residents about a con by scammers falsely claiming to be from HMRC.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute and Halton Trading Standards are warning, the scam has now expanded from text and email to telephone calls as the Coronavirus lockdown continues.
The HMRC-branded scam texts claimed that the government is offering lump-sum payments “as part of its promise to battle Covid-19.”
Each text specified a particular sum and asks the recipient to tap the link to a bogus website which requests payment details from the recipient. It is simply a means for criminals to gain access to bank accounts.
Recently, this scam theme has expanded from text and emails to telephone calls from bogus civil servants.
Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board Member for Trading Standards, Cllr Dave Cargill, said: “This week, HMRC advised the public that all of these messages and phone calls are fake, with the government department advising the public that it will, “never text, email or phone to ask for bank details, PIN or passwords.”
If you or somebody you know has been caught out by a scam or fraud please contact one of our specialist officers, Linda or Sue on 0151 511 8785 or 0151 511 8775, who are already working with people in Halton who have lost thousands of pounds to scams.
If you need advice on anything else please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline or 0808 223 1133
