Would HMRC ever leave a threatening voicemail or call about an arrest warrant?

No. HMRC will never threaten you with arrest over the phone, never leave an automated "press 1" voicemail, and never demand immediate payment in gift cards, cryptocurrency, or by bank transfer. Any call that does any of those things is a scammer.

How does HMRC actually contact me?

HMRC normally contact people in writing first, usually by letter to your registered address, sometimes via your online tax account. If they do phone, they will not demand payment on the spot or threaten consequences within minutes. If you owe tax, you can always check by logging into the GOV.UK personal tax account or by calling HMRC back on a number from gov.uk — never a number a caller has given you.

I have already paid a scammer pretending to be HMRC — what do I do?

Phone your bank immediately on 159 or the number on the back of your card to try to stop or recall the payment. Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or actionfraud.police.uk. Forward any suspicious texts to 7726 and any suspicious emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. Keep all evidence — voicemails, texts, call logs, payment receipts.

What if the call really is from HMRC?

If you're not sure, hang up and call HMRC back on a number you find yourself on gov.uk. A genuine HMRC officer will not object to you ringing back. Most HMRC scam calls fall apart the moment the victim tries to verify the caller through HMRC's real contact channels.

HMRC scam calls: the fake tax-arrest warrant explained

An HMRC scam call is one of the most aggressive phone scams targeting UK households. A robotic voice, or an angry-sounding 'tax officer', claims you owe unpaid tax and warns of an arrest warrant unless you pay within the hour. HMRC do not work this way — they don't phone people about arrest warrants, don't ask for payment in gift cards or crypto, and don't issue threats by voicemail. This guide explains exactly how the call goes, how to recognise it, and what to do if a relative has already paid.

How the HMRC scam call works

Most HMRC scam calls fall into one of two recognisable patterns.

The automated “press 1” voicemail

A robotic voice leaves a message saying something like: “This is HMRC. There is a lawsuit filed against you for tax fraud. Press 1 to speak to an officer or your case will be handed to the police.” Pressing 1 connects to a live scammer who will try to extract bank details or demand payment. HMRC never leaves automated voicemails.

The angry “tax officer”

A live caller, often with a poor phone line, claims to be from HMRC’s enforcement team. They say there is an arrest warrant out or that the local police are on their way to the victim’s door. They demand payment immediately, usually in a strange form (gift cards, cryptocurrency vouchers, or a bank transfer to a “clearing account”). They’ll keep the victim on the line and refuse to let them hang up to verify.

Red flags that prove the call is a scam

HMRC never threaten arrest over the phone. Tax debt is a civil matter, not a police one.
HMRC never demand payment in gift cards. iTunes vouchers, Amazon vouchers, Steam cards — none of these are how His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs collects tax. Ever.
HMRC never demand cryptocurrency.
HMRC don’t use threatening automated voicemails. Their phone messages are factual and short.
HMRC don’t insist you stay on the line. A real officer will be happy for you to call back.
HMRC don’t use scary phraseslike “final demand”, “arrest warrant”, or “a warrant has been issued in your name” on calls. Those phrases come from the scammer’s script.

Why the threat works

Tax is one of the few things that genuinely worries law-abiding people. The thought of being arrested for unpaid tax in old age is terrifying, especially for someone who has always paid on time. The scammer relies on that fear to bypass critical thinking. Even people who would never fall for a “you’ve won the lottery” scam can hesitate when the call sounds like trouble with the authorities. The scammer’s real bet is that fear plus urgency will produce a payment before the victim has time to verify anything.

If the call is happening right now

Hang up.You don’t owe the caller an explanation, and HMRC will not be cross with you for hanging up.
Don’t press 1, 2, or anything else on an automated voicemail — it routes you to a live scammer.
If unsure, verify the right way.Look up HMRC’s phone number on gov.uk/contact-hmrc — never use a number a caller gave you. Or log into your online tax account at gov.uk and check whether you actually owe anything.

If money or details have already been handed over

Phone the bank immediately on 159 or the number on the back of the card. Same-day payments can sometimes be recalled if you reach the fraud team within minutes.
Report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at actionfraud.police.uk. Keep the crime reference number.
Report the scam to HMRC. Forward suspicious texts to 7726 (free, on every UK mobile network) and suspicious emails to [email protected]. For phone-call scams there is a dedicated reporting page on gov.uk.
If gift-card codes were given out:contact the card’s issuer (Apple, Amazon, Google) immediately. Sometimes unspent balances can be frozen.
Don’t delete anything. Voicemails, texts, call logs, payment receipts — keep all of it.

How Zivlo helps with HMRC scam calls

The HMRC scam relies on isolation. The scammer’s whole strategy is to keep the victim on the phone, away from family members who would immediately spot the red flags. Zivlo breaks that isolation. When an unknown number rings a protected person, up to three nominated family guardians are alerted on their own phones in real time. They can silently listen in, join to challenge the caller, or end the call. The caller and the protected person both hear a short notice that the call is being monitored — usually enough on its own to make an HMRC impersonator hang up.

Will it work for me? covers the device and call-forwarding requirements. Get started to set up an account for a relative.

Useful UK numbers to keep written down

159— Stop Scams UK. Connects to your bank’s fraud team. Free from any UK phone.
0300 123 2040 — Action Fraud.
7726 — Free shortcode on every UK mobile to report scam texts.
[email protected] — Forward suspicious emails claiming to be HMRC.
gov.uk/contact-hmrc — the only number you should ever call to verify an HMRC query.

Frequently asked questions

Would HMRC ever leave a threatening voicemail or call about an arrest warrant?: No. HMRC will never threaten you with arrest over the phone, never leave an automated "press 1" voicemail, and never demand immediate payment in gift cards, cryptocurrency, or by bank transfer. Any call that does any of those things is a scammer.
How does HMRC actually contact me?: HMRC normally contact people in writing first, usually by letter to your registered address, sometimes via your online tax account. If they do phone, they will not demand payment on the spot or threaten consequences within minutes. If you owe tax, you can always check by logging into the GOV.UK personal tax account or by calling HMRC back on a number from gov.uk — never a number a caller has given you.
I have already paid a scammer pretending to be HMRC — what do I do?: Phone your bank immediately on 159 or the number on the back of your card to try to stop or recall the payment. Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or actionfraud.police.uk. Forward any suspicious texts to 7726 and any suspicious emails to [email protected]. Keep all evidence — voicemails, texts, call logs, payment receipts.
What if the call really is from HMRC?: If you're not sure, hang up and call HMRC back on a number you find yourself on gov.uk. A genuine HMRC officer will not object to you ringing back. Most HMRC scam calls fall apart the moment the victim tries to verify the caller through HMRC's real contact channels.