Hmrc (Again)

[albaqwerty]

Mr Alba received a text message, allegedly from HMRC, stating that he owed them a whole lot of VAT money.
Interesting, as he is not VAT registered.
They did leave a phone number for him to contact them, I'm having my doubts, besides if they had his phone number, why not phone instead of texting?

Convinced it's a scam.

[bhg481]

Just ignore it - the phone number will be a premium-rate number. He can't possibly owe any VAT, so it must be a scam.

[albaqwerty]

thanks bhg, spent an hour trying to convince him that HMRC only contact people via post

[Islay]

What does the number begin with?
Is it 03000? If not ignore it

[albaqwerty]

0300200 Islay.

[Togo]

They don't have his phone number Alba. They use a bot to speed dial random numbers using all the different codes ie 07920****** : If you respond to the number they post, firstly you are paying premium rates for the call which they will make as long as possible. They will also try to extract info ref. bank details and name, address etc. If you do respond with a call or return text you have just confirmed that your number is live and in use. Then it starts, you get spammed out and your number is sold on as a potential source.

[chrissa1]

If he’s not vat registered he cannot possibly owe them any money.

[Togo]

Read through this Alba.

http://www.whocalls.me.uk/phone/03002003884

[Islay]

Yup they are getting good and getting numbers close to the proper ones!
If he is not VAT registered he cannot owe money - and they would have written to him in the first instance

[albaqwerty]

That's what I told him Chrissa.
Thanks Togo

He does get himself all agitated at times the poor love.

[albaqwerty]

I do like this site, great answers from great people!

Thank you all, will show this to Mr Alba when he appears.

Hah, he asked me to phone them, told him no way Jose and not on your nellie.

[bhg481]

It's a good job he's got a good woman behind him to keep him in order, alba.

[Bazile]

That's a nice name - Jose albaqwerty

[Jackdaw33]

You did right, Alba. I'm not fooled by any of these scams for one minute but older and more mentally infirm people may well be. Despicable, I know, but short of buying a call-blocking phone, which I have, I don't know what the solution is.

[murraymints]

Scam....ignore !

[Cloverjo]

With VAT, you tell them what you owe in your submitted return. If he's never submitted a return and never been registered for it, they can't possibly say he owes them anything.

[albaqwerty]

He's a good man and I hate seeing him 'concerned' about these things

bhg, not too sure about this 'good woman behind him' lol

Baz, the Mexican fire-fighter and his good lady had twin boys and called them Hosa A and Hose B
(Iknow, I know! and I do apologise)

[Bazile]

Get your coat - it's stopped snowing :-)