Debt managementHMRC is sending voice prompts to some customers, explaining what you need to do if you’re behind with your payments. Customers will receive these as an inbound phone call to landline and mobile phones. They will give details for paying HMRC, or a helpline number for you to contact. Show
HMRC is also sending messages that give advice about how important it is to make payments using the correct information. The messages will not ask for any personal or financial information. Self Assessment tax return — research with first-time customersFrom 11 April 2022 up to and including mid-May 2022, HMRC will be working with Kantar, an independent research organisation. You may receive a phone call from Kantar inviting you to take part in an interview with a social researcher from HMRC. Kantar will focus on customers who have:
These interviews aim to understand customers’ approaches to managing their Self Assessment tax return. If you do take part, any information you give will be:
Other phone calls you should checkYou can also check phone calls listed in HMRC contact that uses more than one communication method. Published 30 July 2021
Phone scams are a common way for criminals to con people out of money. Be aware of some of the most common phone scams and find out what you can do to stay safe. Cold calls are phone calls from companies trying to sell you something, even though they have had no business with you previously. Cold calls aren’t usually illegal and don’t necessarily count as a scam although they can be annoying, frustrating and even frightening. Even though it won't necessarily block scammers, you can register for free with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) to reduce the number of cold calls you receive. Register with the Telephone Preference Service It can be hard to tell the difference between a scam and cold calling. However, it's good to know some of the typical tricks that scammers use so you can be prepared. Bank scamsSomeone may call claiming to be from your bank telling you there’s a problem with your card or account. The caller will often sound professional and try to convince you that your card has been cloned or that your money is at risk. They may ask for your account and card details, including your PIN number, and even offer to send a courier to collect your card. They may also advise transferring your money to a ‘safe account’ to protect it. This is a common scam and your bank would never ask you to do this. Computer repair scamsA scammer may call you claiming to be from the helpdesk of a well-known IT firm, such as Microsoft. They’ll tell you that your computer has a virus and will ask you to download ‘anti-virus software’, possibly at a cost. This turns out to be spyware, used to get your personal details. Legitimate IT companies don’t contact customers this way. Read our section about staying safe online for more tips and advice. Compensation callsThis is a call from a company asking about a car accident you’ve supposedly had claiming you may be entitled to compensation. Some of these could be genuine companies looking for business but others are scammers. Don’t engage in these calls. If you’ve had an accident, call your own insurance company on the phone number provided on your policy. HMRC scamsYou may get a call from someone claiming to be from HMRC saying there is an issue with your tax refund or an unpaid tax bill. They may leave a message and ask you to call back. Again, don’t be fooled by this. HMRC would never contact you this way and would never ask you to reveal personal financial information such as your bank account details. Number spoofingScammers now have the technology to mimic an official telephone number so it comes up on your caller ID display (if you have one on your phone). This can trick you into thinking the caller is really from a legitimate organisation, such as a bank or utility company. If you’re in any doubt, hang up and call the organisation directly. If possible, call them from different phone as scammers can keep the phone line open, so that even if you hang up and call the organisation directly, the line may still be connected to the scammer. If it’s not possible to use another phone then wait for at least 10 minutes before you call. Pensions and investment scamsThis is a call about an 'unmissable' investment opportunity, or offering you the opportunity to access your pension cash earlier. See our sections on pension scams and investment scams for more information about these types of scams. Nuisance calls about pensions are now illegal. If you receive a cold call about your pension, report it to the Information Commissioner's Office on 0303 123 1113 or go online here. ‘Anti-scam’ scamsThis is a call from someone claiming to be from a charity supporting scam victims, a company selling anti-scam technology, or from someone demanding money to renew your Telephone Preference Service registration, which is actually free. Be alert to all of these. Check a charity’s registration with the Charity Commission to find out if they’re genuine Older people are often a target for scammers, so it's important to be aware of phone scams and how to handle them. Fortunately, there are things you can do to protect yourself:
You can block or prevent some cold calls. Try these simple things:
There are privacy laws that protect consumers from direct marketing phone calls. If you’ve registered your phone number with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) or if you’ve told the company directly that you don’t wish to receive phone calls, you shouldn’t receive direct marketing calls from the UK. If you receive an unwanted telesales call, an automated message, or a spam message, tell the company that you don’t wish to be contacted again. You can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office or report spam texts by forwarding the text for free to 7726. If you have received a silent or abandoned call, complain to Ofcom. Refer to Ofcom’s online advice section to help you tackle nuisance calls and messages Scammers are constantly finding new ways to trick people and phone scams are changing all the time. If you’ve been the victim of a scam don’t be embarrassed to report it. It can happen to anyone. Report the scam to the police and also contact Action Fraud. The information you give to Action Fraud can help track down the scammer. For more information call the Age UK Advice Line on 0800 678 1602. What is the correct term for a pattern of variation?Regression: Patterns of Variation. Regression involves the determination of the degree of relationship in the patterns of variation of two or more variables through the calculation of the coefficient of correlation, r. The value of r can vary between 1.0, perfect correlation, and -1.0, perfect negative correlation.
When both the researchers and the participants do not know which conditions the participants are assigned to the research design known as?A double-blind study is one in which neither the participants nor the experimenters know who is receiving a particular treatment. This procedure is utilized to prevent bias in research results.
What steps should Jane follow to conduct a study consistent with the scientific method?The scientific method has five basic steps, plus one feedback step:. Make an observation.. Ask a question.. Form a hypothesis, or testable explanation.. Make a prediction based on the hypothesis.. Test the prediction.. Iterate: use the results to make new hypotheses or predictions.. Which psychological domain would include a study of learning and conditioning group of answer choices?Domain 3: Development (includes learning and conditioning, lifespan development, and language) Domain 4: Social and Personality (includes the study of personality, emotion, motivation, gender, and culture)
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