HM Revenue & Customs has warned of a "prolific" new scam which has resulted in vulnerable and elderly people losing thousands of pounds.
The tax man has written to the chief executives of major UK retailers urging them to share details of the iTunes phone scam with their staff so they can act as a line of defence.
The scammers prey on victims by cold calling them and impersonating HMRC members of 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.
Figures from Action Fraud show that there have been more than 1,500 reports of this scam since 2016.
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."
The vast majority of the victims are aged over 65 and suffered an average financial loss of £1,150 each.
Despite campaigns by HMRC and law enforcement agencies, people are still falling victim to the scam, with the highest ever loss being reported last week of an 81-year-old man losing £20,000 after being repeatedly targeted.
damian.fantato@ft.com
