National Insurance number warning as ‘arrest’ scam targets unsuspecting Britons | Personal Finance | Finance
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A National Insurance number is important to Britons as it makes sure NI contributions and tax are recorded against one person’s name only. For this reason, then, people will want to safeguard their number as much as possible. It is made up of letters and numbers, and will never change. However, some people have reported receiving a phone call which tells them their National Insurance number has been involved in some dubious activity – something which is understandably concerning.
The automated message tells Britons their National Insurance number is set to be terminated, as a result of “unethical” financial transactions.
It also warns that ignoring the message could lead to a lawsuit taken out against the individual, and potentially even arrest.
As a result, Britons are encouraged to “press one” on their receiver in order to find out more information and settle the issue.
Those who have received this kind of pre-recorded message which says their National Insurance number has been compromised can be sure this is a scam.
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It has said correspondence could be a scam if it is unexpected, asks for personal details, or is threatening – however, it may not include these signs, and so it is also important to trust instincts and undertake independent verification.
If a person is ever unsure about who is calling them, they can hang up the phone and contact the organisation by independently searching their contact information.
Previously highlighting the scam, Katherine Hart, a Lead Office at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: “This scam is despicable in its attempt to scare the public with the threat of losing their National Insurance number at this challenging time for everyone.
“It’s astounding that these unscrupulous scammers refer to unethical transactions as the reason.
“If you receive this call, do not ever press ‘1’ and please warn others about it. Also, report it to the authorities, such as Action Fraud, or in Scotland, Police Scotland.
“Reporting all instances of fraud helps consumer protectors establish a clearer picture of the landscape and the true scale of this problem.”
In a similar attempt to make people aware of the scam, a number of Britons took to social media to share their concerns.
Twitter user @maleysbhoy warned: “Just had a call from an overseas number with a recorded message saying my National Insurance number has been used in a number of fraudulent transactions.
“I cut the call off as sounds like a scam, be on the lookout, folks.”
While @a_stoth added: “Got a call from a random mobile number suggesting my National Insurance number will be terminated due to some dodgy financial transactions.
“If you get such a call, ignore it, it’s a scam.”
Britons are also encouraged to let the authorities know about a scam call. If they have been targeted, they should call the police, as well as their bank to potentially get the payment stopped if possible.
They can also contact Action Fraud or Police Scotland to help these organisations to crackdown on wider issues of fraud.
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