Telephone scam convinces people they can pay their taxes in iTunes vouchers

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People are being warned about tax scammers contacting victims claiming to be from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

The fraudsters then trick people into paying non-existent debts and taxes using iTunes gift card voucher codes.

According to Action Fraud, scam artists like iTunes gift cards to collect money from victims because they can be easily redeemed and easily sold on.

The scammers don’t need the physical card to redeem the value and instead get victims to read out the serial code on the back over the phone.

Victims are being contacted by a variety of methods, action fraud said. While it is not unusual to get a letter from the taxman announcing that you need to pay more tax, police and fraud prevention charities have urged people to be vigilant before handing over any cash.

HMRC will only ask you to pay by standard payment methods such as a cheque or bankers draft.

Spoofed calls: Fraudsters cold call victims in such a way that it appears they are calling from a legitimate source. They then convince people that they owe unpaid tax to HMRC.

Voicemails: Automated messages saying that they owe HMRC unpaid taxes. When victims call back on the number provided, they are told that there is a warrant out in their name and if they don’t pay, they may ultimately be arrested.

Text messages: Texts ask victims to urgently call back on the number provided. When victims call back, they are told that there is a case being built against them for an outstanding debt and they must pay immediately.

One 87 year-old victim told the BBC fraudsters called him claiming to be from HMRC. They said an arrest warrant was out in his name and told him it would be cancelled if he bought £500 in iTunes gift cards.

The man bought the cards and gave them the serial numbers. It was only when they asked for a further £1,300 in vouchers that he became suspicious and hung up.

An HMRC spokesperson said: “HMRC will never request tax debts to be paid in payment vouchers and we are clear that they cannot be used to pay tax.

“We recommend that if you cannot verify the identity of a caller that you do not speak to them. We encourage you to check GOV.UK for information on how to avoid and report scams, recognise genuine HMRC contact and make payments to HMRC.”