HMRC introduces new system to tackle scam phone calls

Published on 5th September 2019

According to HMRC, criminals often use ‘official’ helpline numbers to convince taxpayers to part with large sums of money, with figures rising from 7,778 in 2017 to 104,774 in 2018.

A new system has been developed in partnership with the telecommunication industry and regulator Ofcom, as just one of HMRC’s plans to safeguard taxpayers from fraud. From June 2019, individuals seeking to pay taxes over the phone have had to enter their payment details using the phone’s keypad, as opposed to giving them verbally.

Commenting on the issue, Jesse Norman, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said: ‘This is a huge step forward in the fight against phone fraud.