This type of scam is becoming increasingly popular and many victims have taken to social media to report these texts and have reported these as a way to warn other people. One victim reported: “I received a call on my mobile saying unless I press one, my NI number would be removed.”
Another said: “I have been receiving three or four calls a day that my NI number is at risk. What is this? What’s going on?”
Mr Wilding responded: “There’s a lot of this going round at the moment, it’s something I’m really glad that you’ve raised.
“It’s a fraud. They’re saying your NI number has been compromised but it hasn’t.
“They are just asking you to follow a link, give all your personal details to someone who is literally just writing down your bank details, who you are, your address, and getting what they want.
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Mr Wilding concluded: “It’s a really good one to look out for.
“Don’t fall for it, and then just send the message over to 7726.”
HMRC continue to warn the British public about becoming more aware of these scams and how they can appear.
According to the tax body, there has been a dramatic rise in scam reports with over one million reports of fraudulent communications in the last year.
They have set out to try and educate the public on securing their safety and security from these scam text messages and phone calls.
With the growing rise in phone phishing scams, they gave examples of what people should look out for if they were ever to receive such a call.
The Government body said: “HMRC is aware of an automated phone call scam which will tell you HMRC is filing a lawsuit against you, and to press one to speak to a caseworker to make a payment.
“We can confirm this is a scam and you should end the call immediately. This scam has been widely reported and often targets elderly and vulnerable people.
“Other scam calls may refer to National Insurance number fraud or offer a tax refund and request you to provide your bank or credit card information.
“If you cannot verify the identity of the caller, we recommend that you do not speak to them.”
HMRC is also pushing people to call Action Fraud if they have been the victim of or lose money to a National Insurance phone scam.
In order to help with Action Fraud and HMRC’s investigation into any potential scam, Britons must be prepared to share specific details about the call on a reporting form.
These details include: the date of the call, date of the call, the phone number used and the content of the call.
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