Possible HMRC scam???

[Newportnobby]

Thanks, All.
I've deleted it.
Crying shame really as it would have paid for all my pre orders due this year

[Chris Morris]

One very simple rule - if an email relating to you as a customer or from an organisation such as HMRC, your bank, Amazon etc doesn't have your name on it then it is a scam - absolutely no question. The opposite doesn't apply -  even if it does have your name on it, it could still be a scam.
Likewise phone calls - if the caller doesn't say "am I speaking to Mr ...." then it is a scam. There again all landline phone calls are a scam and not worth answering.

[NinOz]

I have become exceedingly distrustful of any contact.
Last week I received two e-mails from RACQ insurance offering a refund on each insurance policy due to over charging.  Just had to scan QR codes and fill out some details to receive the refunds (total over $540).  The cause of the overcharge was due to a "Household Excellence Bonus" that was not applied over last few years.
The policy numbers quoted in the e-mails did not match the copies of the polices I had to hand.
To me it had scam written all over it.

Sent a copy to RACQ via their web site as a scam report.  Got a phone call couple of hours later from RACQ saying it was genuine but the caller said it did read like a scam.

[Bealman]

So are you going to push for the $540, or continue to treat it as a scam?

[Newportnobby]

There again all landline phone calls are a scam and not worth answering.

A very sweeping statement, especially if you can't get a mobile signal at home. Anyway, for a few pence per month I get 'Caller ID' so can 'vet' incoming calls

[NinOz]

So are you going to push for the $540, or continue to treat it as a scam?

If I don't do anything a cheque will be sent to my postal address.
I consider that it isn't a scam just a badly worded document.

[Bealman]

Cool! 

[Trainfish]

There again all landline phone calls are a scam and not worth answering.

A very sweeping statement, especially if you can't get a mobile signal at home. Anyway, for a few pence per month I get 'Caller ID' so can 'vet' incoming calls

Same here, the only people who ever call me on the landline are from the local vet so I always answer them in case they want to see me 

[Jon898]

There again all landline phone calls are a scam and not worth answering.

A very sweeping statement, especially if you can't get a mobile signal at home. Anyway, for a few pence per month I get 'Caller ID' so can 'vet' incoming calls

Don't know if it's reached the UK yet, but here in the US the scamming/phishing calls almost all have spoofed caller ID's.  Last week we had one that purported to be the local medical center but was actually someone wanting donations to a (fake) charity.

The other thing we're getting are robocalls that don't start unless you say the word "hello", which then triggers a transfer to a live (usually 3rd world) call center.  As a result, we now answer with "Who's this?", which only triggers about 20% of the calls to transfer.  The latest variant I got yesterday was a call (caller ID "unavailable", but apparently local number) that started a machine-generated voice saying hello several times, to try and trick you into saying it back, so the transfer can happen.

It's becoming hard to stay ahead of these things.

Jon

[Railwaygun]

There again all landline phone calls are a scam and not worth answering.

A very sweeping statement, especially if you can't get a mobile signal at home. Anyway, for a few pence per month I get 'Caller ID' so can 'vet' incoming calls

Which offer advice on Barringunwanted callers

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/cordless-phones/article/how-to-block-nuisance-calls-aHkHz1m7wCes

[ntpntpntp]

All incoming calls to the landline other than family* get left to the answerphone. If they can't be bothered to leave a message it's not real / not important.

Recently there's been a spate of spam calls here regarding driveway upgrades, using a small group of related numbers. I've blocked them all.

* If it's down to me these get left too, as it's always when I'm in the middle of a favourite TV program or I'm soldering/gluing something

[guest10040]

I have devoped the system of answering any unknown number as..

"Main Guardroom, security detachment, Cpl J*****S Sir"

don't know why, but 99% then disconnect 

perhaps it's my accent 

[njee20]

Haven't had a landline for years. Seems to reduce nuisance calls

[chrism]

Don't know if it's reached the UK yet, but here in the US the scamming/phishing calls almost all have spoofed caller ID's. 

Reached the UK yet? The bar stewards have been at it here for years.

Their latest trick is to use the same STD (area) code as the one for the number they are calling, in the hope people will think it might be someone they know and answer the call.

[Newportnobby]

The only phone numbers my landlines recognise are the ones I've entered into the phone myself so I'm hardly likely to get spoof caller IDs
As Nick says anything else gets left to receive a message if it's important.
The only time I come unstuck is when the hospital call me for heart follow up ('cos let's face it, they can't do face to face any more, can they? ) as then the display just shows 'Withheld' as it's come through their switchboard.