Martin Lewis has issues a warning to anyone receiving suspicious calls from fraudsters, claiming to be from organisations such as HMRC or the NHS.
He informed his followers he had received a questionable call himself, and explained what to do if you suspect someone to be a scammer. The Money Saving Expert urged people to remain vigilant, and never trust calls that come from out of nowhere.
This comes as a HMRC scam is on the rise across the country. People have reported a call which asks you to press one in order to be connected with an agent before stating legal action could be taken if you fail to comply, reports the Daily Record.
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Martin explained that he played along, asking the 'operator' which HMRC office they were calling from before the person on the other end of the phone swiftly hung up.
The financial expert then followed up, explaining to his followers that pressing one will not result in a charge. But calling back could risk charge, saying it is best to act with caution and simply ignore calls and messages if you are suspicious.
The MoneySavingExpert founder explained: "If you are called by a scammer and asked to press a button (eg press 1 to...) it is impossible for you to be charged a premium rate call.
"Many said they were worried about this, having had similar calls to the HMRC scam. So I wanted to clear it up (and I've double checked with Ofcom).
"However if you call them, or if you click to call back after they've left a voicemail or from a missed call, you may be charged a premium rate. So the best thing if you're in any doubt is exercise caution and not engage."
Martin added: "Frankly anyone calling you out of the blue to tell you you must take urgent or secret financial (or tech) action is almost certainly a criminal scammer (common ones are from HMRC, Microsoft, delivery firms, NHS).
"Be very wary. Any reputable organisation will have a way you can contact them (find their number independently, don't use one from the potential scam call) to check if the call is real, if you're worried.
"These people are clever, nasty, conscience-less criminals who prey on inattention, fear and vulnerability. The sooner laws are tightened to stop them having access to mass calling, and social media sites, the better."
