Elderly warned over big phone tax scam

THOUSANDS of people are continuing to be duped by a simple scam in which aggressive telephone fraudsters impersonate the taxman.

Recent months have seen an increasing number of mainly over 65-year-olds falling for a cold-calling trick in which the caller pretends to be a member of the HM Revenue and Customs staff.

The average loss per victim is £1,150. Stephen John (left), who is retiring after 55 years in the insurance industry, pictured with his certificate and Mark Browne, managing director of JM Glendinning in Penistone

Victims are told 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.

They 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.

The scammers frequently use intimidation to get what they want, threatening to seize the victim’s ONE of the insurance brokerage industry’s longestserving professionals is set to retire.

Stephen John, 71, of Mirfield, will step down from his role of commercial account executive at JM Glendinning at the end of this year following 55 years in the industry.

Stephen recently received a certificate from the Chartered Insurance Institute marking his half-a-century of membership.

He said: “The certificate came as a bit of a shock, but it was a very welcome surprise.

“The UK is renowned as a world leader in insurance and to receive this recognition from the industry body is a real career highlight.”

Stephen, who was born in Halifax, began his career in insurance in 1963 straight after leaving school.

He achieved his associateship in insurance in 1972 and joined a commercial property or involve the police. Using vouchers is an attractive scam as they are easy to sell on and hard to trace once used.

HMRC would never request the settling of debt through such a method.

The scam continues to hit a large number of people.

Figures from Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting centre, show that between the beginning of 2016 and August this year there have been over 1,500 reports of this scam, with the numbers increasing in recent months. The vast majority of firm soon after.

In 1976, aged 28, he set up his own insurance broking business, SG John Ltd, covering all classes of insurance for a wide range of clients, both individual and commercial.

After almost 30 years, he sold his business to Trevor Richmond Brokers, who later sold it to Giles Insurance Brokers. Stephen continued to work with them until 2011 when he join JM Glendinning in Penistone.

He added: “The insurance industry has changed considerably over the years with increases in legislation and technology playing a much larger role. However, the essence of what I do – providing a tailored service and building and strengthening client relationships – remains equally, if not more, important to us as a firm.”

Stephen is married to the victims are aged over 65.

HMRC is working closely with law enforcement agencies, Apple and campaign groups to make sure the public know how to spot the scam and who to report it to.

Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s director general of customer services, said: “These scammers are very confident, convincing and utterly ruthless.

“These scams often prey on vulnerable people. We urge people with elderly relatives to warn them about this scam and remind them that they should never trust anyone Shirley and the couple have three children and six grandchildren. During retirement, Stephen will continue to pursue his interests of stamp collecting and creative writing. He developed an interest in writing while doing an Open University degree in artistry.

He has already written his first novel called Mrs Matutu which he plans to submit to publishers in the new year.

Mark Browne, managing director at JM Glendinning South Yorkshire, said 55 years of service was seldom seen in the insurance industry nowadays, adding: “Stephen’s knowledge of the insurance industry from every angle has been invaluable to our business and the team has learned a great deal from him.

“Stephen will be very much missed by everyone here at J M Glendinning and we all wish him well in his retirement.” who phones them out of the blue and asks them to pay a tax bill. If you think you’ve been a victim you should contact Action Fraud immediately.”

Gary Millner, chief executive of Tax Help for Older People, said: “Tax Help for Older People fully support HMRC in tackling this particularly wicked scam. We have taken too many calls from people who have fallen foul of it.

“The amounts of money lost are significant for some and the feelings of helplessness, violation and embarrassment are immense.”