FighterControl

I have arrived home this evening to find 2 identical letters in UKMail envelops from 2 of my banks.
Both letters are identical and have a form for me to fill in. It’s a Tax Residency Self-Certification form.
In brief then letter says Under the CRS legislation, financial institutions which include a number of companies within the Lloyds banking group, are required to report information on customers whose tax residency is outside the country where the account is held to the local taxi authority.
The form requires my name address and DOB etc.
I feel a bit worried about these letters as I have never lived overseas. I have a national insurance number and pay tax on my earnings.I have spent my whole life living in the same town in England, and I have held accounts with these banks for over 20 years. They are joint accounts and my wife hasn’t received these letters.
I Don’t really understand why I should have received these forms to fill in and feel a bit worried about doing as it maybe a scam. I shall pop down the bank on Wednesday and make enquires. but for the time being I thought I would ask the forum.

Andy

I treat all such correspondence as scam, were the letters addressed to you specifically or the occupier council tax payer or similar ? such letters addressed to non specific persons are against government guidelines so if this is the case then bin the letters. If genuine they can always contact you again. Am afraid in these times you cannot trust any phone call or correspondence.

Andy,
Here’s an example explanation of what such a form is about - https://www.halifax.co.uk/helpcentre/co ... ndard.html
If you don’t have any bank or other financial accounts overseas and have never worked overseas you are unlikely to be asked by your bank to complete any such form. You’re right to not respond until you’ve checked with your banks first. Do not contact your banks by using any details on or from the paperwork that you’ve received as any addresses, emails or phone numbers therein may be fake? Do nothing until and unless you’ve personally visited and checked with your bank. You are right to be cautious. Steve.

Definitely the right course of action to visit your bank in person. Suggest that you photocopy the relevant paperwork, just so you have something for your records if the bank want to keep the originals; that has proved worthwhile for me in the past when dealing with my branch of Lloyds Bank.

Thanks for all the replies it’s appreciated. Shall see what happens when I speak to the bank.

Had a text yesterday afternoon informing me my Lloyds card had been used at 1423 to withdraw a large sum (unspecified) and to call a number to confirm

I have NEVER had an account with Lloyds

Paddy boy there was no doubt that was a scam then. We have had txt like that but with online banking its easy to quickly check our accounts.
I have just spoken to the bank. I telephoned the number on the back of my bank card and not the one in the letter. Wasn’t on hold for more than a minute. I have been told that it is indeed genuine and that they are just sent out at random and the info passed on to HMRC.

Rule of thumb If you think its a scam it probably is a scam
if unsure bin/shred/delete, if a genuine request the bank or whatever will get back in touch

Have just had a call which takes the buscuit.It It was in what sounded like chinese.

these bstrds are the scum of the earth its about time they were shut down or have the same done to them, when i get phone calls i answear them and they soon get told what to do with themselves!?

Condor68 wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 14, 2021 10:25 am

Have just had a call which takes the buscuit.It It was in what sounded like chinese.

I've had several of these over the last month or so, always on my mobile, and always with an (presumably fake) mobile type number displayed. Very, very noisy Chinese, or oriental sounding, call centre. Not sure if even intended for me (or even the UK), why call in a language the recipient is unlikely to understand?

baz1 wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 15, 2021 12:41 pm

these bstrds are the scum of the earth its about time they were shut down or have the same done to them, when i get phone calls i answear them and they soon get told what to do with themselves!?

It's not quite so easy to "shut down" a site in Iran..... or Russia........ or China.... or North Korea........ especially if they are state owned or sponsored... If they could be shut down they would be shut down. It's not a physical location that you can just lock the door, but a virtual one that can mask itself, and hop, and change location etc.

Should also have said if you got forms to fill in . Send them to YOUR BANK .Let them deal with it.

Havent read all the threads but got this twice yesterday.Message from a mobile number saying a parcel for me needed me to pay had £2 or it would be returned to sender.This was followed by a web address to send the money to.Was totally unaware that the Royal Mail were reduced to using mobiles to attempt to collect £2.It wasnt even in the type of format a large company would use.If this has already been posted sorry.

Keith

as i have said before i get loads of this stuff and calls about washing machine warranty running out x number of pounds to renew cover, BT going to cut my Broadband off who i am not even with ,then Amazon Prime who i'm not even with i could go on the list is endless just makes me wonder how thick and gullable some people are they should be able to tell by accent alone and alot of it comes from call centres you can hear the noise in the background, if you check the phone call online they use different numbers , i did once call one back and it was a very nice lady who lived in Northampton who did Not realise here phone number was been used, i have internet calls showing on my landline/withheld numbers etc, rant over

Ring your local Post Office to confirm.

The only way that the Royal Mail will contact you for such matters is by a card delivered through your letterbox by your postie.

Forward scam texts to 7726, it provides evidence for whichever authority is dealing with it.

I don't have 'voicemail' operational on my phone. All the people I want to be in touch with are in my directory & therefore I get Caller ID. If no ID showing then No answer! I am not in business & therefore don't risk dismissing genuine calls. Simples!
My greatest worry is that many of these Scum use early Vodafone mobile numbers like 07770-xxxxxx to route their pooh & my personal number has been with me for 29 years & IS an early Vodafone number!
Should my calls to 'new contacts' not be answered then I text to ask them to call/text/email me as a genuine caller regarding the Subject.

Thunder wrote: ↑

Tue May 18, 2021 10:07 am

The only way that the Royal Mail will contact you for such matters is by a card delivered through your letterbox by your postie.

Bang on Scott - had to make a customs payment recently and a letter dropped through the door from Royal Mail with contact details / website on how to pay

I tend to always ignore those texts from banks requesting calls / clicking on links etc even replying to some with a couple of choice words. Ignored one from Lloyds (my bank) recently asking me to respond and call a number due to an amount being removed from my account - got fed up with their persistence and sent a not very nice text back. A couple of days later I checked my bank account - - amount removed from bank account

My card had been cloned and amount removed. Moral of the story - if you get a text / call from your bank don't immediately dismiss it - contact them by some other means to confirm just don't respond to number on the text or any links. I am grateful the bank refunded the money and they understood my text 'responses'

Darren