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Scams and fraud

Don't follow the instructions!

(6 Posts)
Elegran Sat 21-May-22 15:32:49

I had what may be a new phishing scam this morning. Title "Follow the instructions!", telling me that "your Direct Debit with us is no longer active. This means you don't currently have an automatic payment method set up to deal with your bills. To set up a new Direct Debit click the button below" Needless to say, I haven't clicked on the button below!

It apparently came from billingtool.com, or the "Billing department" of some anonymous sender. Billingtool seems to be a genuine organisation assisting firms to bill their customers, but I would have expected more about just WHO is to get the new Direct Debit they want me to set up. I don't believe that it is genuine.

I have forwarded it to my email provider, who were mentioned in a footer at the bottom of the page, but not in the main text of the message. I suspect it is a generic email, and the email provider is mentioned because it was in a batch sent to users of that provider.

biglouis Tue 31-May-22 00:05:15

I had the HMRC one on the phone today. Normally use a phone blocker but expecting courier so unblocked landline in case he needed instructions. Man (with strong Asian accent) wanted a card payment of £1000 to stop court action.

"Ok so if you are HMRC tell me my UTR"

"I dont understand"

"Unique Tax Reference. Thats the number I use to do my self addessment for you. You must have it on your screen in front of you"

"No Im not in the office. Im at the court now and if payment is not made we will press for the warrant."

"So you must have paperwork relating to me with you and that would have my UTR if you really did work for HMRC. So I dont believe you do work for them do you?"

"Fuck off bitch." Hangs up.

FarNorth Tue 31-May-22 09:38:47

Nice.

Charleygirl5 Tue 31-May-22 10:35:14

What a pleasant man being so rude because you did not fall for his scam.

You could have said my husband/son whoever works for the IR perhaps he could help you more than me?

When somebody now knocks on my door flogging whatever I just say I rent the house and I have no idea who the owner is- possibly lives overseas and that gets rid of them.

timetogo2016 Tue 31-May-22 10:42:05

Another charm school drop out.

Purplepixie Tue 31-May-22 10:46:01

I had a phone call similar and I said that I worked for HMRC and would check it myself. The phone was soon put down by the person phoning. He sounded very foreign and quite vague.