The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a warning to everyone in the UK with a National Insurance number.
The authorities company is urging individuals not to half with delicate particulars that would see them lose important sums of cash. NI numbers are robotically assigned simply earlier than somebody’s sixteenth birthday if their mother and father or guardians are receiving Child Benefit for his or her care.
It helps determine you on Government programs, together with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and the DWP. During the price of residing disaster scammers will probably be in search of any alternative and victims are pressured into handing over private particulars for a brand new National Insurance number.
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In June 2021, a spate of scams involving NI numbers swept throughout the nation. It resulted in tens of hundreds of incidents being reported to Action Fraud. As reported by the Daily Record, the scam seems to be on the rise once more because the DWP has issued a video through Twitter reminding folks that it by no means makes use of an automatic name system to contact clients.
And should you obtain such a name, it’s in all probability a scam. Last yr’s scam concerned victims’ receiving an automatic cellphone name, throughout which they had been informed their National Insurance number had been “compromised”.
They had been then instructed to press 1 on their handset to be linked to the caller in order to supposedly repair the difficulty and get a brand new National Insurance number. However, as soon as linked to the caller, victims are pressured into handing over private particulars – which the fraudsters declare is to allow them to obtain a brand new National Insurance number.
It provides the criminals private particulars allows them to commit fraud utilizing the sufferer’s credentials and knowledge.
The DWP tweet stated: “Be fraud aware and protect your personal details at all times. Your information could be used by criminals to commit benefit and other fraud.”
The quick video explains: “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.”
The video steerage provides: “If you believe you have been targeted, contact Action Fraud. You can report a scam on the Action Fraud website here or by calling 0800 123 2040.”
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