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Where Taxpayers and Advisers Meet

Fraudulent VAT registration

Rufuscook
Posts:1
Joined:Sat May 01, 2021 8:11 pm
Fraudulent VAT registration

Postby Rufuscook » Sat May 01, 2021 8:23 pm

Could anyone help me please.
I got a letter from HMRC this morning confirming my online VAT registration had been successful and they heave me my new VAT number???
Problem is I didn’t apply for this and neither did my accountant!
I have tried to log into my government gateway account but my password seems to have been changed so I tried to reset it and got a message saying they would text me a code to my mobile number linked to my account but the last 4 digits of the phone number that they were showing they would send the code to aren’t from my phone number.
Seems my account has been hacked !!!!
I am now officially vat registered and knew nothing about it until I got the letter this morning.
Has this happened to anyone else here ??

les35
Posts:635
Joined:Wed Aug 06, 2008 3:09 pm

Re: Fraudulent VAT registration

Postby les35 » Tue May 04, 2021 11:41 am

make sure you create screen shots for everything. You don't want to end up being assessed or penalised for someone else's misdemeanours.

robbob
Posts:3228
Joined:Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:01 pm

Re: Fraudulent VAT registration

Postby robbob » Tue May 04, 2021 12:22 pm

I have heard of a similar case recently - you want to get on the phone to the vat helpline immediately and specifically flag this up as fraud (ie not your doing) and make clear you need written confirmation from them that thay have this fact noted on their file and they will not bother you again ref tis vat number unless it is to take necessary steps to cahnjcel registration process.

You should get name of officer you speak to and call reference and request written confirmation as matter of urgency.

Personally i would request copies of all inromation that was used on application to help you ascertain if your perosnal details have been compromised - i think from the case we came across the proof of personage provided clearly did not come from our client.
Knowing hmrc they may be relucant to provide you with info linked to your record - if they won't provide specific information demand that they liaise with you so they can confrim if information does match proepr information that you hold on file - eg if you supplied relevant info they might confirm what they held on file matches or not - they should be able to get a nadle on whether your info has ben compromised but i suspect they might be reluctant to tell you if it has or not.

Also it seems clear your gateway has been hacked - so you need to contact online services to do similar to get that gateway account terminated immediately.

I would finally specfically ask them to check what other recent activity has gone on via gateway or account so you don't find out in say 12 months time that a cis refund or something simlar has been actioned via your gateway.
Hopefully hmrc take such fraudulent activity seriously but i don't know how thorough they are if i am being honest if all your id's have been compromised.

If you have the slightest suspision your email account may have been hacked - you should change all your email passwords as approrpiate.


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