A Paisley man lost more than £6, 000 to scammers who posed as tax office staff.
Cops are probing the con after the 25-year-old victim reported losing thousands of pounds to callous crooks.
It’s understood that he received an automated phone call earlier this week before speaking to a fraudster posing as someone from HM Revenue and Customs.
The cruel crook told the trusting man that he had run up a tax bill that needed to be paid immediately or he would face serious consequences.
The victim transferred a high four-figure sum before realising he had fallen victim to a scam and called the police to investigate.
Inspector Tracy Harkins, deputy area commander for Renfrewshire, urged people to be wary of cold calls.
She said: “We would again urge people to be very cautious if they receive a call out of the blue from someone claiming to work for HMRC.
“HMRC will never call you about a payment that you are not already aware of.
“Our advice is to hang up the phone immediately and call HMRC on a recognised number you have sourced independently.”
She added: “Criminals can be very convincing and will often try to create a sense of panic during these types of calls but I would urge people to take their time and stay calm at all times.”
HMRC confirmed they are aware of scams and are working to shut them down.
A spokesman said: “We will only ever call you asking for payment on a debt that you are already aware of, either having received a letter about it, or after you’ve told us you owe some tax, for example through a self-assessment return.
“We work relentlessly to close scams down and make people aware of them.
“HMRC has a trusted brand which can be abused by fraudsters to trick people trying to fulfill their legal obligations.
“We have invested heavily in protecting taxpayers against scams and anyone who suffers financial loss as a result of one should inform Action Fraud.”
