Not VFP AT ALL, but important if you run Ltd company... Confirmation Statement Scam 3

[GriffMG]

I received a letter this morning, looked exactly like the HMRC one that also
arrived, same envelope, same fonts etc. So, I casually thought it was genuine... opened
it and it was a reminder to file my confirmation statement, which I was about to anyway.

It has QR codes on it to make the process simpler... I'm thinking that's helpful I won't need
to fish out my ID etc. so I scan it. All looks genuine until the 'checkout'

Instead of a £13 bill, they want a couple of pence under £45!

Cancelled that, thank you.

Regards

Griff
Keep [Smile]ing

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

I'm trying to cut down on the use of shrieks (exclamation marks), I'm told they are !good for you.

There is no place like G28 X0 Y0 Z0
​

 

[Mike Lewis]

Very interesting, Griff. Usually with a scam, you can detect a suspicious link by looking closely at the URL. But if all you can see is a QR code, the option isn't possible.

It might be worth posting this in forum84. Although it's not exactly an e-Business issue, it will at least be seen there by non-VFP folk.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

 

[GriffMG]

I have posted it there too now, and in the TT in the UK forum.

I'm usually pretty savvy to stuff like this, but the timing was perfect - right when I was about to do the
statement - and the 'packaging' was deliberately designed to make you complacent... I was nearly suckered.

If I didn't know the real cost was £13 I might have followed through, whether that would have submitted the
statement I do not know... my guess would be yes.

The idea of Co. House sending a QR code does seem like a good idea too...

Regards

Griff
Keep [Smile]ing

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

I'm trying to cut down on the use of shrieks (exclamation marks), I'm told they are !good for you.

There is no place like G28 X0 Y0 Z0
​

 

[Chris Miller]

Im not at all trget of this, but I have to say it's become such a convenience to scan a QR code and be directed to whatever URL.
The QR code is still just that, you can also decode it without automatically following a link embedded into it.

I can see how you can easily fall for something like that especially doing this on a smartphone, where a browser often doesn't show the address bar.

Chriss

 

[TamarGranor]

FWIW, I would report to the official folks. Sounds like a crime.

Tamar

 

[GriffMG]

Thank you Tamar

I suspect the authorities MUST be complicit, I'm not aware of an API that would have gotten
the info they had available after I hit the QR code that would not have had to come from
the HMRC.

Regards

Griff
Keep [Smile]ing

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

I'm trying to cut down on the use of shrieks (exclamation marks), I'm told they are !good for you.

There is no place like G28 X0 Y0 Z0
​

 

[GriffMG]

But I will email them, you are right about that

Regards

Griff
Keep [Smile]ing

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

I'm trying to cut down on the use of shrieks (exclamation marks), I'm told they are !good for you.

There is no place like G28 X0 Y0 Z0
​

 

[Mike Lewis]

In the UK, there is an official mechanism for reporting suspected scams:

https://www.gov.uk/report-suspicious-emails-websites-phishing

(But it's not clear if it only covers on-line and email activities, or if it includes letters that come through the post, as is the case here.)

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads