News story: Don’t be a victim of ‘Insolvency Service’ telephony scam

The Insolvency Service has been made aware of a scam where members of the public are receiving telephone messages to make unscheduled and unnecessary calls to the Insolvency Service.

Not only are unsuspecting members of the public being asked to make unnecessary calls but they are being asked to dial a telephone number that although does connect to the Insolvency Service, is not one of our official numbers and is a premium-rate number that costs a lot of money.

The scam appears to be instigated by a website based outside of the UK, helplinecall.com, which provides direct telephone numbers of businesses in the UK but when used, will cost the caller a lot of money.

The following tips will help prevent you being made another victim of telephony scams:

1. If you’re being asked to call the Insolvency Service but you are not going through a bankruptcy or insolvency matter – be careful as it could be a scam phone call

2. Take a look at the number you’re being asked to call – if it looks like it’s a premium rate number then it might not be legitimate

3. If you’re still unsure about the number, check the official Insolvency Service website to see if it is one of our numbers

4. You can also check numbers using a standard search engine as if it is a legitimate number you will be taken to an official website

5. If you think you’re a victim of a scam – report it to our friends at Action Fraud (0300 123 2040) or to the Insolvency Service directly