£5,200 Lost To Bogus HMRC Callers Across Sussex In Five Weeks

Elderly and vulnerable people across Sussex are again being warned to be wary of phone calls from fraudsters pretending to be from HM Customs and Revenue (HMRC).

Two fake callers in June swindled victims in Sussex out of a total of £4,300, with a further £900 added to the fraudsters' haul at the beginning of July.

Police said on Wednesday (July 8) the bogus callers claim the targeted person is wanted for tax evasion and could be arrested 'on warrant' unless they pay a cash sum - sometimes up to £4,000 - to clear their 'debt'.

Some even address victims by name, or use a number that is often displayed as the official number of the agency they claim to represent, to add credibility to their call.

According to officers, 18 such calls were reported in Sussex during June, although only two succeeded in getting any money.

But at the beginning of July three calls were received in the Bognor area — one of them on 2 July netting £900 by phone-arranged bank transfer.

Of the 18 people who reported calls in June, 10 live alone and seven are aged over 75.

Calls were received across East and West Sussex as well as Brighton & Hove.

Genuine authorities have stressed that people will never be texted or telephoned by legitimate callers 'out of the blue' with requests to make payments, to log in to an online account or to disclose personal information, such as PIN numbers, passwords or bank details.

Anyone receiving such contact is advised to hang up and report the call — preferably using a separate mobile phone or landline in case the criminals have kept the line open — to Sussex Police on 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

PC Bernadette Lawrie, the force's Financial Abuse Safeguarding Officer said: 

"This underlines the importance of never giving out private information and reporting any suspicious activity without delay.

"We'd also ask friends or relatives of potentially vulnerable people to ensure they are fully aware and alert to the risks."