Vocal Voices

Yesterday I received a letter from HMRC to tell me that I had paid too much tax in 2020-2021, which I knew about, and am due a rebate of £xxxx.

However, the cheque is to be sent to a firm of solicitors for some reason and that firm has gone out of business. On the same day I also got an email from a company called Capricorn Legal telling me that they would be getting the cheque on behalf of the original solicitors whose accounts they had taken over. So far, so good, except that they wanted my name, bank account number and sort code.

Now I have never heard of Capricorn Legal, and the fact that they wanted my bank details flagged up "SCAM, SCAM, SCAM". The fact that they apparently do not know my name or address confirmed that.

Can I get in touch with HMRC to sort this out? Not a damned chance! The national numbers go round and round in circles till I get cut off with a "Thank you for calling" message, and the local tax office does not answer the phone.

I have had to resort to a registered letter to HMRC to try to sort this out, but time is running out. The cheque is due on April the 1st. If this falls through and the cheque is cashed by Capricorn I can see me taking HMRC to court.

That's dreadful WM I do hope things get sorted out for you quickly

I have had the same phone issues with HMRC, trying to sort out my NI shortfall

This sounds really tricky Frank, I hope you can get it sorted out! xxx

I have sent a 'signed for' registered letter to HMRC wanting to know how Capricorn got my partial details and could receive a cheque on my behalf without my knowledge of it being issued or them being involved.

I have informed my bank about proceedings and informed them that no transactions should take place without my authority - not even contactless card payments without my PIN. .

This is one reason I do not make contact payments. Had a meaningful discussion at a plumbers merchants last year when the assistant wanted to take my card
and swipe it across the card reader. I said NO I was going to enter my pin number manually. Ths takes longer but it is the way I am going to use to pay.
So far have not had to contact HMRC.
But firms such as Virgin make you answer many "security" question before they will talk to you about your account. This happened even when I was trying to
make a payment. You would have thought I was trying tyo rob Virgin not pay them money.

That’s an odd one Frank, when John’s had a rebate (and Joe had one too so that must’ve been in the last three years as well) he was given a choice of having it paid into his bank account or being sent a cheque.

He had a really frustrating experience with HMRC a few years ago. It was when he still took the option of having a company car, he’d changed it, given HMRC all of the details and knew he’d be paying more tax for the privilege. Nothing changed on his tax code though so he called them again, checked they’d got the details of the new car and that they were correct (they were) and he was told that a new tax code would be issued.
Next month he still paid the same amount of tax. Called again, same response.
He was calling each month after being paid, telling them that he wasn’t paying enough tax and it took six months for a new tax code to be issued.
Then came a letter informing him that he hadn’t paid enough tax!!

Another time he had a rebate letter, he thought it was wrong as he wasn’t expecting one so called and they found an error but still issued a rebate, albeit for less.
A few weeks later a letter arrived saying he’d not paid enough tax.

Oh boy, it is an attempted identity theft scam, and it is a good one!

I have been at this since doors opening. I eventually got through to HMRC but I might as well not have bothered for all the help the script reader could offer - at least it is logged. I have contacted the police and have a report number. I have also created a report with Action Fraud after spending nearly an hour explaining what had happened. I have been on to the bank to secure my accounts and have opened a file with Clearscore so that I can check if anyone is checking up on me.

It turns out that the very believable letter from HMRC is actually a fake. It also turns out that Capricorn Legal who sent me the email wanting my bank details is the latest in a line of fake companies set up to obtain identities. They are already under investigation, but get this, obtaining (stealing) an identity in the UK is not illegal of itself, it only becomes illegal if it is used to make a fraudulent transaction. However, using a stolen identity to steal from the rightful owner is illegal.

I now have to write to the DWP and the RAF pensions fund to make sure that my pension is never paid to a different account without my express written permission then hopefully I am secure.

Honestly, this has done me in. It almost fooled me, and I am fairly well switched on, but others will have fallen for it.

Btw, I got another email from Capricorn this morning while I was phoning round which contained this:

Given the passage of time and proof provided should we not hear back from you within 5 days we will eventually have no choice but to send your funds to a charity as we are unable to keep client money.

That is known as a forcing statement designed to panic the receiver into acting the way the scammers want i.e. filling out the bank details. I did not fall for it but I am sure many will.

That is just incredible WM it would have fooled me and others I hope now it can,be sorted

Flippin eck Frank.

Well done you for being on the ball.

And thanks for making us aware...can never be too careful.

Ally, Jo and all, these show how good the fake letter and cheque were.





Be honest. Most of us would have fallen for them.

What made me suspicious was the reference to AIA SOLICITORS who I had never heard of, so I went checking. The other was the date the letter was issued, 16th, and the date it arrived, 27th. so most of the 14 days had gone. It all looked as though I was being forced to act there and then. but why, cheques are valid for months. And why not just send the cheque directly to me and in my name?