iTunes scam hits sour note

HMRC has written to the area’s retail bosses urging them to share details of a prolific iTunes phone scam so that they can act as the last line of defence against fraudsters.

The high-profile scam is conning vulnerable and elderly people out of thousands of pounds as those responsible prey on victims by cold calling them and impersonating HMRC staff.

They tell them that they owe large amounts of tax which they can only pay off through Apple’s iTunes vouchers; victims are told to go to a local shop, buy these vouchers, and then read out the redemption code to the scammer.

The conmen then sell on the codes or purchase high-value products, all at the victim’s expense.

Following HMRC’s recent awareness campaign, several retail workers across the UK have warned customers buying hundreds of pounds worth of iTunes vouchers that they may be about to fall victim to the scammers.

Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s director general of customer service, said: “It’s really reassuring to see reports of supermarket staff, off their own back, taking action to keep customers safe. Raising public awareness is the best safeguard against this vicious scam.

“Supermarket staff are often the last line of defence against these fraudsters. That’s why I’ve written to the chief executives of major UK retailers to urge them to make their staff aware of this scam so they can help protect unsuspecting customers.”

Figures from Action Fraud show that there have been more than 1500 reports of this scam since 2016.

The vast majority of the victims are aged over 65 and suffered an average financial loss of £1150 each.

It’s really reassuring to see reports of supermarket staff, off their own back, taking action to keep customers safe. Raising public awareness is the best safeguard HMRC