A woman was targeted by fraudsters posing as HM Revenue & Customs as part of a scam that’s becoming increasingly common and sophisticated enough to deceive even the most vigilant Brit.
The scam began with a phone call from cloned genuine numbers, claiming she had an outstanding tax balance to settle. The caller was persuasive, leading her to believe she was in real trouble. The fraudsters even made a follow-up call, this time pretending to be local police threatening her with arrest and court action if she didn’t pay the ‘tax’ she owed.
The fraudsters preyed on the Northern Irish woman during a challenging period in her personal life, and she eventually succumbed to their demands.
She transferred £4,000 to the scammers but soon realised what had transpired and embarked on the daunting task of trying to reclaim her money.
Now, four years after the harrowing incident, the scam victim has finally been reimbursed. Sharing her story with The Department for the Economy’s Trading Standards Service, the woman hoped her experience would serve as a cautionary tale for others.
She first approached her bank, only to be informed that since she made the transfer voluntarily, they were unable to help.
After hesitation and still reeling from the incident, she reached out to the Trading Standards Service in February 2024, fully believing too much time had passed for them to do anything. Surprisingly, the TSS took action on her part and filed a complaint on with both her bank and the Financial Ombudsman.
Ahead of the ombudsman’s evaluation, the bank opted to refund her the hefty £4,000 she lost, the accrued interest over four years, plus an added £250 in compensation.
Expressing her gratitude, she said: “I’m very happily surprised at the result and would like to thank TSS for all their support and help, it wouldn’t have been possible without them. It’s a big deal for me, not just about the money but the emotional impact.”
Echoing the reality of deceitful schemes, Yasmin Johnstone from the TSS gave sound advice: “This serves as a stark reminder of the tactics used by scammers to exploit an individual’s fears and trust. If you receive a similar call do not make any payments or share personal information. Instead, contact the organisation directly using verified contact details.”
