The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued an urgent scam warning to everybody with a National Insurance number.
Every UK resident receives a National Insurance (NI) number prior to their 16th birthday if their parents or carers receive Child Benefit for their care. This number is used to identify them on government systems by HMRC and the DWP.
The DWP has now urged the public to take care not to give away personal information that could see criminals steal money from them. As reported by the Daily Record, NI scams last year saw tens of thousands of reports to the fraud prevention service Action Fraud.
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The scam is once again becoming prevalent, and the DWP has responded by sharing a video on its official Twitter account. The clip reminds people that it does not use an automated call service, and so those who receive such a call should immediately be suspicious.
The DWP tweeted: “Be fraud aware and protect your personal details at all times. Your information could be used by criminals to commit benefit and other fraud.”
In the clip, the DWP states: “DWP never use an automated call system for contacting customers. If you receive an automated message about your National Insurance number, it is probably a scam.”
It adds: "If you believe you have been targeted, contact Action Fraud.”
You should report scams to the Action Fraud website, or call them on 0800 123 2040.
The scam in question sees victims receive an automated telephone call in which they are informed their "National Insurance number has been compromised". Victims are then ordered to "press 1 on their handset to be connected to the caller" under the false pretence of correcting the issue.
However, in reality, they are coerced into giving away personal information to the criminals. They can then use these details to carry out fraudulent activities using the victim’s credentials and information.
If you get a suspicious phone call, text, or email that tells you to hand over personal or financial information, you should:
- Stop: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.
- Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
- Protect: If you have provided personal details to someone over the phone and you now believe this to be a scam, contact your bank, building society and credit card company immediately and report it to the police via 101.
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