Man conned out of £1k after scammers posed as HMRC tax collectors and demanded iTunes vouchers
Consumers have been warned to beware of scammers posing as HM Revenue and Customs after one man was reportedly conned out of £1,000
CONSUMERS have been warned to beware of scammers impersonating HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) after one man was reportedly conned out of £1,000.
Melvyn Vernon from Bristol was told to buy 10 £100 iTunes vouchers from a local Sainsbury’s store or face being arrested, the Bristol Post reports.
The 58-year-old told the local newspaper that the threat “scared him to death”.
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.”
Report suspected fraud
Here's what to do if you think you've been a victim of fraud.
If you suspect that you or a vulnerable or elderly relative has been the victim of this scam or a similar one, you should report it immediately to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via its .
If you believe fraudsters have taken money from your bank or credit card you should also report it immediately to the provider in question.
HMRC issued a warning about such iTunes gift card scams in the run up to last Christmas.
It said scammers were preying on victims by cold calling them and impersonating an HMRC member of staff.
They tell them that they owe large amounts of tax which they can only pay off through digital vouchers and gift cards, including those used for Apple’s iTunes Store.
Victims are told to go to a local shop, buy these vouchers, and then read out the redemption code to the scammer, who has kept them on the phone the whole time.
The conmen then sell on the codes or purchase high-value products, all at the victim’s expense.
Have you been the victim of a HMRC gift card scam? We want to hear from you. Email The Sun Online Money team at helen.knapman@mcb777.site.
The latest figures available from national fraud reporting centre Action Fraud show that between the start of 2016 and August 2017 there have been over 1,500 reports of this type of scam, with victims suffering an average financial loss of £1,150.
A spokesperson for Action Fraud said: “Fraudsters are preying on some of the most vulnerable members of society for their own personal gain, using every trick in the book to exploit money out of their victims.
“We are working tirelessly to stop these fraudsters in their tracks and to raise awareness of this type of fraud.
“If you think you have been a victim of fraud, report it to Action Fraud.”
HMRC added that it would never request the settling of debt through such a method.
Apple advised on its website that App Store and iTunes gift cards can only be used to purchase goods and services on the iTunes Store, App Store, iBooks Store, for an Apple Music subscription, or for iCloud storage.
It stated: “If you’re approached to use the cards for payment outside of the iTunes Store, App Store, iBooks Store, Apple Music, or iCloud, you could very likely be the target of a scam should immediately report it to Action Fraud.
But it’s not just gift cards scams you need to watch out for, earlier this week Sainsbury’s and Morrisons customers were warned over a WhatsApp scam promising £150 in vouchers in exchange for person information.
Protect yourself from fraud by reading The Sun’s latest scams and fraud news.
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