Dodgy Communication From Hmrc

[MichaelZZ]

The ex-pat brother of a friend of mine has recently had a strange communication (reportedly) from HMRC. The letter from HMRC is asking him to send a cheque for 10p (yes, that's ten pence!) in respect of some pension contribution outstanding for 2013. Brother has lived in Canada for several years and no longer has a British bank account so he has asked sister to write a cheque for 10p and send it, on his behalf to HMRC.
When sister told me about this, my reaction was, "It's a scam! Don't have anything to do with it." I also suggested that if she really did want to settle this outstanding account she could do it by some means other than by cheque with her bank details on it. (A 10p piece for example!)
This has prompted some debate between me, my friend and her brother. She is adamant that her brother is quite IT savvy and is generally alert to scams. She and I are aware that the usual sort of scam is one where you are informed that someone (e.g. HMRC) owes you money, rather than vice versa. The bottom line is that she has sent a cheque off to HMRC, having collected 10p from her brother when she saw him last week!
As she says, the recipient of any cheque can immediately see the Bank's name, her account number and her Sort Code, so if this is a scam, how does it work?
Any comments that I can forward to my friend to put her mind at rest would be welcome!
Thanks in advance.

[fiction-factory]

account code and sort code is on all cheques so are you suggesting we shouldn't send anyone a cheque?
It does s seem odd that they would aksk for 10p but we need more info. I don't think they would request it by email. DId he send it to a bonafide HMRC office?

[fiction-factory]

i see on rereading it was a letter not an email. Could still be scam but scammers don't usually waste postage costs on these scams when they can send thousands of emails for no cost

[MichaelZZ]

Thanks for your comments, Ficty. I take your points about all cheques bearing account number and sort code, and your comment about the logic of paying for postage in order to get 10p.
I initially thought the "demand" was in an email but Sis assures me it was a letter. I haven't actually seen the letter though so I don't know what sender's address was on it. I suggested she should make a phone call to HMRC, using the genuine number that is available on the website. I've a funny feeling that she didn't do this.

[fiction-factory]

If she had rung HMRC I doubt very much they would have been able to help (even if she was prepared to spend 45 minutes in a queue) as they won't discuss any aspects of his tax with her for confidentiality reasons

[Islay]

I can assure you that it is highly unlikely that HMRC sent a demand for 10p as it costs more than that to issue a letter.
For example the IT systems costings, the printer ink, the paper, the postage and the officers time to write the letter.
You should have just ignored it! Or contacted them online as they now have a half decent online contact system.

[MichaelZZ]

Thanks again FF, and Islay, for your comments. I was thinking that HMRC could have answered the general question, "Do you seriously send out a demand for 10p...?)
Anyway, if it is a scam, how would it work?

[Islay]

They have your bank details and signature - what more do they need.
Go on to the HMRC website .gov.uk as it is now and there should be a facility to notify them of scams let them know about this one

[fiction-factory]

Ak ey piece of info we haven't got is whether the address he sent the cheque to was a genuine HMRC office. If it was then it's difficult to see it being a scam.
But if it wasn't a genuine HMRC address then I can see they have some good elements for identity theft- bank details, signature, an NI number if they asked for that...

[slimseeker]

i have recently received a number of telephone calls claiming to be from HMRC it is an automated message telling you to ring 02031292224 immediately regarding tax as legal action is going to be taken. after I typed the number in to google and it said it was a safe number my husband tried to ring the number but always got cut off. I found the HMRC telephone number and rang it they said it was a scam and would not contact us this way.

[Peter Pedant]

// account code and sort code is on all cheques so are you suggesting we shouldn't send anyone a cheque? //

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2008/jan/07/personalfinancenews.scamsandfraud

that is enough to set up a fraudulent withdrawal
and so I dont send cheques to .... everyone who asks.

I am surprised that the IT savvy frenz of Mike Zee Zee didnt see this. The other things is that the IT savvy lot should have been able to scan the letter and circulate it

obvious scam to me....

[Peter Pedant]

slimseeker
try googling 0203 129 2224 again

number from mainland china ! and there is one question about being asked to dial it over a tax claim .... another scam

[slimseeker]

have just re googled number peter and yes its now saying its dodgy but at the time it never?? hope it alerts others to this scam

[fiction-factory]

Yes, HMRC have issued warnings about that telephone message scam, slimseeker

[MichaelZZ]

Thank you all for your answers.
I now have plenty of comments to go back to my friend with. Special thanks to Peter P for the Guardian link. I had forgotten about the Clarkson episode.