The latest scam involves receiving a voicemail or automated message that is left on your phone from someone pretending to be from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).  The call then demands money or threatens to take legal action against you if you refuse to pay up.
Numerous sources have confirmed that this is a scam and that you should not take any action. If you were unfortunate enough to receive a call, it is advised to report it to HMRC. The department has said that it would never request the settling of a debt through such method.
One individual was reportedly conned out of £1,000 as the scammers impersonated HMRC tax collectors.
Scammers convinced Melvyn Vernon from Bristol to buy 10 £100 iTunes vouchers from a local Sainsbury’s store, warning that otherwise, he could face being arrested.
He said: “The scammer phoned me on my mobile and he knew my name. He said he was from the UK tax office and said I owed £3,828.
“I had to go to Sainsbury’s and buy £1,000 worth of iTunes store vouchers. He asked me to do it, so I bought 10 £100 gift cards.
“It scared me to death. I had to stay on the phone the whole time and then when I got back to my flat, I had to spend ages giving him the codes for him to redeem.
“He has been calling me for the remaining amount of money ever since.”
The fraudsters prey on victims by cold calling and posing as a member of staff from HMRC.
The conmen then sell on the iTunes codes or purchase high-value products, all at the victim’s expense.
Latest figures from the national fraud reporting centre, Action Fraud, indicate that there have been over 1,500 reports of this type of scam from the start of 2016 and August 2017, with on average each unlucky target on average losing £1,150.