09/10/2026
DON'T FALL FOR DOORSTEP SCAMMERS POSING AS HMRC
With rising levels of fraud and doorstep imposters, HMRC has updated guidance on how to check the veracity of HMRC representatives if they arrive at your premises or home.
When an HMRC official visits your premises, it is essential to check their identity and ring the HMRC dedicated phone numbers, available 24 hours a day, to confirm they are genuine and not fraudsters.
It goes without saying that it is essential to use your own mobile phone to make the call, as scammers can divert calls and make it appear to be answered by HMRC when, in fact, it is being redirected to a scam call centre.
It is also important to note that HMRC debt collectors will ‘usually visit you between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday’.
If you’re unsure about whether the person you are dealing with is a genuine HMRC officer, you can contact HMRC to check their identity and confirm they are an officer from HMRC.
HOW TO CONFIRM AN HMRC OFFICER'S IDENTITY
The officer will show you their HMRC identification card, which includes their name, photograph and HMRC serial number.
The next step is to check this is above board, following these steps:
Make a note of the officer’s name and serial number.
The officer will give you an HMRC telephone number (03000 565 656) to call.
Call 03000 565 656 and give the HMRC adviser the officer’s name and serial number.
The adviser will confirm whether the person is a genuine HMRC officer.
The telephone number provided by the HMRC officer is available 24 hours a day and is only for verifying the identity of HMRC officers in face-to-face situations.
HOW TO CONFIRM AN HMRC'S COLLECTOR'S IDENTITY
An HMRC collector will usually visit you between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
The collector will show you their HMRC identification card, which will have their name, photograph and HMRC serial number on it.
Make a note of the name and serial number on the card.
Phone HMRC on 0300 200 3862.
Give the name and serial number to the adviser, so they can confirm that the collector represents HMRC.
It is also worth double checking the official list of genuine HMRC contacts to help decide if the person on your doorstep is genuinely from HMRC, or is a scam from a fraudster.
Further guidance can be found on the HMRC website.
