HMRC tax fraud or error?

[Quartz]

Anyone from HMRC here?

I've just received a letter purporting to be from HMRC saying I've claimed a repayment. For a very large sum of money. I have made no such claim. The envelope looks right and the letter looks right. Except for one thing: they've got my bank details wrong. That said, I've just checked and the money has been paid to me. The HMRC fraud line is, of course, closed over the weekend so I'll be ringing their tax line tomorrow morning. I'm guessing that the letter is real but the claim is false or erroneous. Maybe someone has tried a fraud in my name. So as to best help HMRC stop or correct this, what do I need to have to hand when I ring their ordinary tax line tomorrow morning? Apart from the letter, obviously.

 

[Malevolence]

How large is "a very large sum of money"?

 

[Puzzled]

Why would you be owed a large amount of money back as a repayment? Do the contact details on the letter match with the HMRC website?

 

[Barks]

HMRC surely would never use the phrase "a very large sum of money"

A fraudster, on the other hand... 'get their attention'

 

[weringo]

Sounds like a scam whereby someone has made a claim under your name for tax losses or similar therefore triggering a tax repayment, but something has gone wrong with the scam and HMRC has paid the money to you instead of them.

Alternatively you could have just overpaid tax through PAYE or whatever and HMRC is repaying this to you. Would seem odd that they have stated that you have made a claim for repayment though.

 

[Quartz]

How large is "a very large sum of money"?

Large enough that I don't feel like specifying it, but not telephone number large.

 

[Quartz]

Sounds like a scam whereby someone has made a claim under your name for tax losses or similar therefore triggering a tax repayment, but something has gone wrong with the scam and HMRC has paid the money to you instead of them.

That sounds plausible.

Alternatively you could have just overpaid tax through PAYE or whatever and HMRC is repaying this to you. Would seem odd that they have stated that you have made a claim for repayment though.

Especially as I'm retired and have been retired some years.

 

[platinum87]

Sounds like a scam whereby someone has made a claim under your name for tax losses or similar therefore triggering a tax repayment, but something has gone wrong with the scam and HMRC has paid the money to you instead of them.

Sounds reasonable.

Except for one thing: they've got my bank details wrong.

I guess, post the bank details and lets see who owns that account.

 

[Arsonist]

My friend had a similar email from a prince in Nigeria. He replied, and now lives a life of luxuary in the Caman Islands. Claim the money and run.

 

[Tony Edwards]

Anyone from HMRC here?

I've just received a letter purporting to be from HMRC saying I've claimed a repayment. For a very large sum of money. I have made no such claim. The envelope looks right and the letter looks right. Except for one thing: they've got my bank details wrong. That said, I've just checked and the money has been paid to me. The HMRC fraud line is, of course, closed over the weekend so I'll be ringing their tax line tomorrow morning. I'm guessing that the letter is real but the claim is false or erroneous. Maybe someone has tried a fraud in my name. So as to best help HMRC stop or correct this, what do I need to have to hand when I ring their ordinary tax line tomorrow morning? Apart from the letter, obviously.

Becareful that the letter isnt a scam and someone has made a fraudulent claim and then sent you a letter with dodgy contact details in the hope you contact them and they say "Oh yes it must have been a mistake can you transfer it to this (dodgy) account please. Thank you" And then you own the HMRC the money. That might be the reason the bank details are wrong because they dont know yours.

Make sure you get the real contact numbers off their website.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Anyone from HMRC here?

I've just received a letter purporting to be from HMRC saying I've claimed a repayment. For a very large sum of money. I have made no such claim. The envelope looks right and the letter looks right. Except for one thing: they've got my bank details wrong. That said, I've just checked and the money has been paid to me. The HMRC fraud line is, of course, closed over the weekend so I'll be ringing their tax line tomorrow morning. I'm guessing that the letter is real but the claim is false or erroneous. Maybe someone has tried a fraud in my name. So as to best help HMRC stop or correct this, what do I need to have to hand when I ring their ordinary tax line tomorrow morning? Apart from the letter, obviously.

What tax is it for?

Phone their line and speak to them.

Why would you be owed a large amount of money back as a repayment? Do the contact details on the letter match with the HMRC website?

Because repayments are extremely common in several lines of business. Especially lines of business where you pay for instance VAT but don't charge VAT.

For example if you build homes for a living. When you sell the house you don't charge VAT on residential properties. However all the stuff you bought to build the house, wood, concrete, bricks, plasterboard, etc had VAT on it which you can reclaim.

Therefore your always getting repayments with every return you send to HMRC.

This also happens with seasonal businesses like farmers. No VAT on carrots for instance. Or even if you do a seasonal business which does incur VAT you get repayments until you sell your produce then you hand the VAT over when the sale happens.

 

[Quartz]

Phone their line and speak to them.

Well yes:

So as to best help HMRC stop or correct this, what do I need to have to hand when I ring their ordinary tax line tomorrow morning? Apart from the letter, obviously.

And I won't be ringing the number on the letter!

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Well yes:




And I won't be ringing the number on the letter!

Whatever head of duty it's for call their line specifically rather than the general line.

It's why I asked what tax is involved.

PAYE? VAT? SA?

Your best speaking directly to the actual tax involved.

Their numbers can be found on .gov or HMRC website directly.

Phoning a general number your going to be passed onto the line I'm trying to tell you to phone after wasting your time for 2 hours.

 

[Rannoch]

Google the number in the letter.

 

[Zefan]

And I won't be ringing the number on the letter!

What's the number on the letter?

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Google the number in the letter.

that's actually a good idea.

You won't believe how many people get genuine letters from HMRC. Think it's a scam and bin it. They then get a call and are shocked when they find out it's genuine.

By that time interest, fines and fees has been piling on too.

 

[2004typer]

And I won't be ringing the number on the letter!

This, I'm sure they'll sort it as long as you phone the genuine number, if not and they have no idea.....free monies!

 

[bloodiedathame]

Funnily enough, I got a call from a number today, robot voice, saying that HMRC have an arrest warrant out on me because of tax fraud. Number was 0203 652 5038.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Funnily enough, I got a call from a number today, robot voice, saying that HMRC have an arrest warrant out on me because of tax fraud. Number was 0203 652 5038.

That's a well known scam.

HMRC doesn't use robots to call people. They also usually send letters first as it's cheaper to mass mail than mass call people.

 

[2004typer]

Funnily enough, I got a call from a number today, robot voice, saying that HMRC have an arrest warrant out on me because of tax fraud. Number was 0203 652 5038.

I had one too purporting to be HMRC, one of many, but from a mobile number. Usual robot voice, would have strung them along a bit for a laugh but was too busy with work.