The number of phone scams pretending to be from HM Revenue and Customs is falling across the Midlands, new figures have revealed.
Phishing texts and bogus calls linked to tax issues are used to dupe people into handing over personal and banking details.
But data from HMRC has shown an 85% drop in the number of reported incidents in the Midlands over the past year, with June seeing 621 compared to 4,104 in the same month in 2021.
People between 25 and 34 are most affected by scams in the region, with 180 of the reports last month coming from that age group.
Kelly Paterson, HMRC’s chief information and security officer, said a dedicated team working with telephone companies and Ofcom had helped to fight the fraudsters.
“We work tirelessly to tackle scams and protect hard-working taxpayers from becoming victims of fraud.
“Never let yourself be rushed. If someone contacts you saying that they are from HMRC, wanting you to urgently transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard. HMRC will never ring out of the blue threatening arrest.”
Kelly Paterson, HMRC
People who receive suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC are asked to forward them to 60599 and to send any scam emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. Tax scam phone calls an also be reported at online.
