The telephone number 0203 024 8872 has been associated with a recent HMRC premium-rate scam. On the 21st September 2020 a Twitter user reported being targeted by a phone call from this number. The scammers who phoned pretended to be calling from HMRC. They warned that a fraud case was proceeding against the potential victim. He was told that unless the man pressed 1 on his type-pad the police would attend his house immediately and arrest him.
In fact the aim of this scam was to get the man to press 1 because this would have connected him to a premium-rate phone number. Fortunately in the case below the man was able to identify this as a scam and let us know about it:
Just had call from 0203 024 8872 and was told (by a pre recorded robotic like voice) that HMRC have opened a fraud case against me and if I didn’t press 1 straight away I would be arrested shortly.
Anyone else had this bollocks?
— DEGENKieKie (@48arBeiK) September 21, 2020
What should I do if I get a phone call from 0203 024 8872?
Do not answer the phone to this number. If you have already answered the phone then make sure you don’t press any of the automated options that are offered. Hang up immediately. You can also report the number 0203 024 8872 by emailing HMRC@phishing.co.uk