Tag: warning

Scammers targeting Self Assessment customers, HMRC warns

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is warning Self Assessment customers to be on their guard following the Self Assessment deadline after more than 570,000 scams were reported to HMRC in the last year.

At this time of year, Self Assessment customers are at increased risk of falling victim to scams, even if they don’t mention Self Assessment. They can be taken in by scam texts, emails or calls either offering a ‘refund’ or demanding unpaid tax, thinking that they are genuine HMRC communications referring to their Self Assessment return. In the 12 months to January 2022, nearly 220,000 scams reported to HMRC offered bogus tax rebates.

Criminals target unsuspecting Self Assessment customers to try and steal money or personal information. They use phone calls, texts and emails to try and dupe citizens, and often mimic government messages to make them appear authentic. In January 2022, phone scams rose to 3,995 compared to 425 reported in April 2020.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “If someone contacts you saying they’re from HMRC, wanting you to transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard. 

“Never let yourself be rushed, and if you’re in any doubt then check our ‘HMRC scams’ advice on GOV.UK.”

HMRC gave customers an extra month to submit a completed tax return and if customers filed by 28 February 2022, they would avoid a late filing penalty. More than 11.3 million customers filed their Self Assessment tax return by 28 February, with more than 1 million of those taking advantage of the extra time by filing in February.

Customers have until 1 April to pay their outstanding tax bill or set up a Time to Pay arrangement to avoid receiving a late payment penalty. Interest has been applied to all outstanding balances since 1 February.

Customers can now make Self Assessment payments quickly and securely through the HMRC app. Customers choosing to make secure Self Assessment payments through the HMRC app can either connect to their bank to make their payments or pay by Direct Debit, personal debit card or corporate/commercial credit/debit card. 

A full list of the payment methods customers can use to pay their Self Assessment tax bill is available on GOV.UK.

Customers can report suspicious phone calls using a form on GOV.UK. Customers can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599. 

HMRC has a dedicated team working on cyber and phone crimes. They use innovative technologies to prevent misleading and malicious communications from ever reaching the customer.

Since 2017, these technical controls have prevented 500 million emails from reaching HMRC’s customers. More recently, new controls have prevented 90% of the most convincing SMS messages from reaching the public and controls have been applied to prevent spoofing of most HMRC helpline numbers.

HMRC is also reminding Self Assessment customers to double check websites and online forms before using them to complete their 2020/21 tax return.

People can be taken in by misleading websites designed to make them pay for help in submitting tax returns or charging to connect them to HMRC phone lines.

Customers who are in any doubt about whether a website is genuine should visit GOV.UK for more information about Self Assessment and use the free signposted tax return forms.

Storms Update: Eunice imminent

Continued caution advised as second storm approaches

With severe weather set to continue into the weekend, the Scottish Government is urging people to continue to exercise caution and follow the latest travel advice.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney is due to chair a further meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) on Thursday evening as the co-ordination of the response to Storms Dudley and Eunice continues.

All warnings for Storm Dudley have now been lifted but a yellow warning remains from the early hours of Friday when Storm Eunice may bring heavy snow and strong winds to much of the country.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “With two storms back to back, we expect severe weather to continue into the weekend across large parts of the country.   

“We would strongly urge everyone to continue to pay close attention to the latest travel advice and to exercise caution on the roads.

“Storm Eunice may bring heavy snow and strong winds to much of Scotland from the early hours of Friday, posing further risks to transport and other essential services.  

“The Scottish Government’s resilience committee will continue to monitor the situation. We remain in close contact with local authorities and emergency and essential services to ensure people in the affected areas receive the latest information, advice and support where needed.”

The Met Office warning for Storm Eunice. 

Follow @metoffice for any updates to the weather warnings in place.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency issues flood alerts and warnings for Scotland. View the latest updates on their website.

ScotRail services and road conditions.

Advice on preparing for severe weather can be found on the Ready Scotland website.

Warning to local businesses following card machine scams

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information and urging businesses to be vigilant following incidents of frauds via payment card devices.

Fraudsters are reported to have entered retail and hospitality establishments in the city centre and swapped the card machine belonging to the business for their own one. This results in payments for subsequent sales being fraudulently paid into the scammer’s bank account.

There were two reported incidents on Thursday (20 January 2022), in the city centre resulting in a mid-five figure sum of money being stolen. These are being treated as linked and enquiries are ongoing.

Sergeant Janie Harman from the Prevention, Intervention and Partnerships Department said: “We are urging retail and hospitality staff to be extra vigilant and ensure that they are in control of the card devices at all times, even when it’s not in use.

“If you think you may have been a victim of this type of fraud, contact your bank immediately, ensure that any CCTV is secured and contact police on 101, or in an emergency always call 999.

“Anyone with information about these incidents who has not already contacted Police Scotland should call 101, quoting reference 1971 of 20 January 2022, or report information anonymously via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Thousands of elective care operations cancelled amid crisis in urgent and emergency care

Data from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s Winter Flow Project 2021/22 reveals that in November 2021 6,726 elective care operations were cancelled and in October 2021 6,335 elective care operations were cancelled.

Dr Adrian Boyle, Vice-President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “In its first week of reporting, the Royal College’s Winter Flow project 2021/22 has a stark warning for the months ahead.

“Nearly 7,000 elective care operations were cancelled at reporting sites in November alone. This data comes as the National Audit Office, in their latest report, predict that the elective care waiting list could reach 12 million by March 2025.

“Data show 12-hour stays are twice as high as the same time last year; four-hour performance remains incredibly low averaging at 62% in November; long hospital stays have increased 13% since the beginning of October. Urgent and Emergency Care is verging on crisis and it is impacting and derailing elective care, meaning surgery for patients with serious conditions is delayed.

“The situation is unsustainable; we must see a willingness to address these crises and tackle the problems. The core of the issue is poor patient flow throughout the hospital and exit block caused by difficulties in discharging patients. These blockages cause ambulance handover delays, crowding and corridor care.

“Capacity must be expanded to avoid a hard-hitting impact on elective care. While it is crucial that social care is resourced to enable a timely and supported discharge of patients.

“In the long-term, restoring bed capacity to pre-pandemic levels and publishing a long-term workforce plan are vital to ensuring no parts of the system are compromised or derailed; to promoting good flow throughout the system; and keeping patients safe.”

NHS Dentistry: Scottish Government plans set to spark exodus from service

The British Dental Association has warned the Scottish Government plans to revert to pre-COVID models of care risks sparking a flight of dentists from the NHS, with potentially devastating consequences for patient access across Scotland. 

In October Cabinet Secretary Humza Yousaf wrote to all NHS dental teams that all emergency support will be withdrawn by 1 April 2022. Since the first lockdown NHS practices have operated under a COVID support package, reflecting pandemic pressures and tight infection control restrictions that continue to limit capacity across the service. 

According to a new survey of dentists in Scotland [1]:

  • 80% of dentists estimate their practices will reduce their NHS commitment should the Scottish Government withdraw emergency support and return to pre-COVID models of care. Over a third (38%) of dentists indicate they are now likely to change career or seek early retirement in the next 12 months should the policy be taken forward. 15%  say they are likely to practice dentistry outside of Scotland, and 1 in 10 estimate their practice is likely to cease operations. 
     
  • Half of dentists report that they are operating at less than 50% of pre-COVID capacity. While the Scottish Government has offered a support package to boost capacity, many practices are unwilling to commit to a broken NHS model. Over 30% say they have not applied, andamong those half (50%) say they are now unable to commit to the NHS long-term. Support for ventilation costs requires a minimum 3 year commitment to the NHS.
     
  • 9 in 10 of dentists (89%) estimate the removal of emergency funding will have a high impact on the short-medium term sustainability of their practices.

BDA Scotland have warned from the outset that a return to a ‘business as usual model’ – low margin and high volume – will put practices under unsustainable financial pressure and will likely lead to closures or movement to the private sector. Practices are facing an unprecedented backlog, with recent data from Public Health Scotland indicating that the number of treatments delivered in the year to March 2021 was less than 25% of those delivered in the previous 12-month period, corresponding to over 3.5 million appointments lost as a result of the pandemic.

NHS dental care free at the point of use remains a centrepiece SNP policy. BDA Scotland has said the Scottish Government must change course to achieve that goal, develop an interim funding package to support dentists and their teams as they work through the backlog, and begin work on a new, sustainable model for delivering care.  

David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “Free NHS dentistry for all is a worthy ambition. Rather than exploring ways to actually achieve that goal the Scottish Government has blindly headed down a road that could destroy this service.

“COVID has slashed our capacity, yet emergency support will end. Yes, Ministers have offered some support, but with small print many practices simply could not sign up to in good conscience.

“Dentists are unwilling to be shackled to a corpse. When aid hinges on committing to an NHS model that is now frankly unsustainable it is unsurprising take up appears so modest.

“We doubt Humza Yousaf wants to be remembered as the man who killed NHS dentistry in Scotland. Without a willingness to reflect on choices made in recent weeks that risks being his legacy.”

RECKLESS: Scottish Government plans ‘set to decimate NHS dentistry’

“To signal the return of a ‘business as usual’ model when the country is still in the grip of a pandemic is utterly reckless”

The British Dental Association Scotland has warned that plans to return NHS practices to pre-COVID models of work will devastate dental services across the country.

Cabinet Secretary Humza Yousaf yesterday wrote to every NHS dental team in Scotland, indicating that all emergency support will be withdrawn by 1 April 2022. Since the first lockdown NHS practices have operated under a COVID support package, reflecting pandemic pressures and tight restrictions that continue to limit capacity across the service. 

A return to delivering a low margin/high volume model of care is, BDA Scotland contends, simply unsustainable under current conditions. While some restrictions may ease in the coming months, there are no indications the service is likely to return to anything resembling ‘business as usual’.

With a growing number of staff facing abuse from frustrated patients unable to secure appointments, the BDA has warned the move will only raise patient expectations, while pushing NHS colleagues into the private sector or out of dentistry altogether.

Yousaf has signalled minor changes to the payment system for dentists that will take effect from 1 February 2022, largely covering the treatment of children. While welcome, these reforms will have a negligible impact on capacity within the service and will not ease the pressure on practice finances once the COVID support payments are withdrawn.

The SNP committed to delivering free NHS care for all in Scotland in the recent election. The BDA has stressed this approach runs counter to that vision, and that real focus and energy must be applied to developing a new, sustainable model for delivering care.

David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “The Scottish Government seems set to pull the rug out from under every dedicated NHS dentist.

“If Ministers had an objective to decimate NHS dentistry, this approach would offer a great starting point. To signal the return of a ‘business as usual’ model when the country is still in the grip of a pandemic is utterly reckless. The net result will be to push colleagues out of the NHS and to leave this profession altogether.

“Ministers put NHS dentistry front and centre in their pitch for government. To deliver on their promises we need real commitment to find a new and better way for delivering for the patients that need us.”

NHS Confederation: Enact ‘Plan B plus’ to avoid stumbling into winter crisis

“The government should not wait for COVID infections to rocket and for NHS pressures to be sky high before the panic alarm is sounded”

Health leaders are calling on the UK government to introduce measures, such as mandatory face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces, without delay to keep people well and avoid the NHS from becoming overwhelmed this winter.

The NHS is seeing worrying increases in coronavirus cases in its hospitals and the community at a time when it is preparing for a busy winter period, its staff are close to burnout, and it is being expected to recover many of its services that were disrupted by the pandemic.

The NHS Confederation is warning that the extent of this recovery could be at risk without preemptive action over winter from the government and the public.

Last month, the government set out its COVID-19 winter strategy, which focused on building the population’s defenses through vaccinations and other pharmaceutical interventions, as well as test, trace and isolate measures, and public health messaging.

Within that, a ‘Plan B’ would be enacted if pressures on the NHS were deemed to be at risk of becoming unsustainable. Additional measures could include clear communications to the public that the level of risk has increased, introducing certificates for people’s COVID-19 vaccine status, and legally mandating people to wear face coverings in certain settings, in addition to considering asking people to work from home if they can.

Many of these measures, particularly around mask-wearing and COVID-19 certification, are already common in parts of Europe where the prevalence of the disease is lower.

The membership body is calling for these actions to be introduced sooner rather than later so that if cases of coronavirus still rise to worrying levels, the government can then introduce tougher measures, if needed.

Alongside this, the NHS Confederation believes that this should go further with a ‘Plan B plus’, calling on the public to mobilise around the NHS and do whatever they can to support frontline services this winter. This could include:

  • Getting vaccinated, including booster shots when invited.
  • Turning up for scheduled healthcare appointments on time.
  • Using frontline services responsibly, such as by only calling 999 in emergency situations and accepting appointments with primary care professionals other than GPs, such as practice nurses and community pharmacists, as well as remotely from both primary and secondary care, if offered and suitable
  • Volunteering to support the NHS and joining or returning to the workforce, if eligible. 

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “The NHS has shown that it has been there for its patients throughout the pandemic and is working hard to tackle the increased demand for its services, with 1.1 million procedures and 25.5 million GP appointments delivered in August.

“The NHS is preparing for what could be the most challenging winter on record and it will do everything it can to make sure its services are not disrupted but these outside pressures are not solely within its gift to influence. As cases of coronavirus continue to climb, alongside other demands on the health service and pressure on staff capacity in both the NHS and social care, leaders are worried about what could be around the corner.

“There is a crucial opportunity for the public to pull together and show extra support for the NHS by behaving in ways that will keep themselves and others safe and also safeguard stretched frontline services for those most in need.

“It is time for the Government to enact Plan B of its strategy without delay because without preemptive action, we risk stumbling into a winter crisis. Also, health leaders need to understand what a ‘Plan C’ would entail if these measures are insufficient.

“The government should not wait for COVID infections to rocket and for NHS pressures to be sky high before the panic alarm is sounded.

“Additional investment has been given to the NHS to support its recovery and leaders are committed to putting that to best use as rightly, the public expects a return on its investment but if the government fails to get a grip on the rising cases of coronavirus and other illness, this could be put at risk.”

Confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK have exceeded 40,000 for the last seven days, with 43,738 recorded yesterday and 49,156 on Monday. The last time cases were in this bracket was in mid-July.

Also, English hospitals have seen a 10% increase in Covid-19 cases in the last week, with 7,749 people reported at the last count. Deaths are averaging around 120 a day but today there were 223 deaths within 28 days of a confirmed positive diagnosis.

Vaccinations have played a significant role in keeping these numbers lower than they could have been and were in previous waves of the pandemic, with the NHS currently supporting booster shots and flu vaccinations to more patients than ever, as well as supporting Covid-19 jabs for 12- to 15-year-olds.

Over 83 million jabs have been given in England so far.

HMRC warns students of scams

University students taking part-time jobs are at increased risk of falling victim to scams, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is warning.

Higher numbers of students going to university this year means more young people may choose to take on part-time work. Being new to interacting with HMRC and unfamiliar with genuine contact from the department could make them vulnerable to scams.

In the past year almost 1 million people reported scams to HMRC.

Nearly half of all tax scams offer fake tax refunds, which HMRC does not offer by SMS or email. The criminals involved are usually trying to steal money or personal information to sell on to others. HMRC is a familiar brand, which scammers abuse to add credibility to their scams.

Links or files in emails or texts can also download dangerous software onto a computer or phone. This can then gather personal data or lock the recipient’s machine until they pay a ransom.

Between April and May this year, 18 to 24-year olds reported more than 5,000 phone scams to HMRC.

Mike Fell, Head of Cyber Security Operations at HMRC, said: “Most students won’t have paid tax before, and so could easily be duped by scam texts, emails or calls either offering a ‘refund’ or demanding unpaid tax.

“Students, who will have had little or no interaction with the tax system might be tricked into clicking on links in such emails or texts.

“Our advice is to be wary if you are contacted out of the blue by someone asking for money or personal information. We see high numbers of fraudsters contacting people claiming to be from HMRC. If in doubt, our advice is – do not reply directly to anything suspicious, but contact HMRC through GOV.UK straight away and search GOV.UK for ‘HMRC scams’.”

In the last year (September 2020 – August 2021) HMRC has: 

·         responded to 998,485referrals of suspicious contact from the public. Nearly 440,730 of these offered bogus tax rebates   

·         worked with the telecoms industry and Ofcom to remove 2,020 phone numbers being used to commit HMRC-related phone scams 

·         responded to 413,527 reports of phone scams in total, an increase of 92% on the previous year. In April last year we received reports of only 425 phone scams. In August 2021 this had risen to 3,269

·         reported 12,705 malicious web pages for takedown

·         detected 463 COVID-19-related financial scams since March 2020, most by text message 

·         asked Internet Service Providers to take down 443 COVID-19-related scam web pages.

By June this year, more than 680,000 students had applied to university, and over 900,000 held part time jobs during the 2020-21 academic year.

  1. HMRC’s advice is:

Stop: 

·         Take a moment to think before parting with your money or information. 

·         Don’t give out private information or reply to text messages, and don’t download attachments or click on links in texts or emails you weren’t expecting.

·         Do not trust caller ID on phones. Numbers can be spoofed.

Challenge: 

·         It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests – only criminals will try to rush or panic you.

·         Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact  and how to avoid and report scams. 

Protect:

·         Forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599. Report scam phone calls on GOV.UK. 

·         Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen victim to a scam, and report it to Action Fraud (in Scotland, contact the police on 101).

  1. Data about student university applications can be found here.
  1. Data on part-time student employment can be found here.
  1. Follow the National Cyber Security Centre’s steps on keeping secure online at CyberAware.gov.uk.
  1. Follow HMRC’s Press Office on Twitter @HMRCpressoffice

SEPA warns of low water levels across Scotland

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is warning of an increasing water scarcity situation across the country with Northwest Scotland, Clyde, Ayrshire, Orkney and the Western Isles moving to Alert level. Most of the rest of the country is moving to the Early Warning tier, with Irvine and Ayr raised to Moderate Scarcity level.

  • SEPA is providing information for businesses that abstract water year-round on actions to take as resources reach critically low levels.
  • Changing weather patterns caused by climate change means water scarcity will become more common in Scotland.
  • Businesses looking for information on water scarcity and meeting licence conditions urged to contact SEPA at WaterScarcity@sepa.org.uk

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has warned of an increasing water scarcity situation across much of Scotland, with businesses which abstract water all year round being encouraged to take steps to reduce their water usage.

The latest weekly water situation report published by SEPA shows that the majority of the country has been raised to Early Warning level as conditions could deteriorate rapidly if the dry weather continues.

June has seen below average rainfall across the country and ground conditions have continued to dry rapidly over the past two weeks.

In north and south-western areas where they have experienced a relatively dry spring, many rivers have had prolonged low flows and depleted water resources.

River levels are now also low across eastern catchment areas – not unusual for the time of year – but with low rainfall forecast in the short term this situation could continue and result in impacts to the environment and affect water supplies. As a result, catchments between north Fife and Aberdeen have also been raised to alert level.

Groundwater levels are falling but so far remain within the normal range for the time of year.

The longer-term forecast suggests that there is an increased likelihood of hot, dry weather compared to normal, with a greater chance of impacts from hot weather.

Water is a resource that underpins key industries across Scotland, from food and drink production through to farming and golf course management, and while some businesses abstract seasonally, others need access to water all year round.

Those reliant on private water supplies are also feeling the effects of water scarcity. Of 22,000 private water supplies, almost 4,000 provide water to large numbers of domestic properties or businesses, including tourist accommodation, schools and care homes.

Businesses have been asked to act in order to mitigate the impacts of depleted resources in the area. These actions are:

  • Those in the agriculture sector still abstracting should stagger abstractions with other operators
  • Where possible reduce the volume of water being abstracted
  • Switch to other supplies or suspend abstractions if possible

Water abstractors licenced by SEPA should have a plan to deal with the range of conditions they may experience, including drought. They should monitor their water usage and equipment to ensure they are operating at maximum efficiency and avoiding any unnecessary leakage.

Changing climate patterns and extreme rainfall events put us in a position where an area can be experiencing water scarcity but still suffer from surface water flooding.

Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said: “The severity of the water scarcity picture in part of Scotland is further evidence that water scarcity will become more and more prevalent – and is just one of the many consequences of climate change the country faces.

“SEPA’s strategy for tackling this definitive challenge of our time is called ‘one planet prosperity’, focused on helping our communities and businesses thrive within the resources of our one planet.

“That is why it is important for businesses that abstract water to understand that SEPA is here to offer support and guidance, and we are setting out the key measures abstractors should be taking to conserve water, which is shared and finite.

“We want to work with businesses to plan long-term about their water usage so that we can preserve the resource as effectively as possible. This will protect both Scotland’s rivers and lochs and reduce their business risks.”

More information on water scarcity can be found at sepa.org.uk/ water-scarcity.

Businesses having difficulty obtaining water supply or that are concerned about meeting licence conditions should contact SEPA at WaterScarcity@sepa.org.uk.

Those concerned about private water supply levels should contact their local authority.

Police issue warning on catalytic converter thefts

The precious metals used in catalytic converters means they are an attractive target for thieves. Here are some tips to help prevent catalytic converter theft:

– Park your car in a locked garage where possible, or in a well-lit and well-populated area.

– Park close to fences, walls or a kerb with the exhaust being closest to the fence, wall or kerb to make the theft more difficult.

– Avoid parking your vehicle half on the pavement and half on the road.

– If parking in a public car park, consider parking alongside other cars and facing your bonnet towards the wall if possible.

– If there is a fleet of vehicles, park the low clearance vehicles to block the high clearance vehicles.

– If your catalytic converter is bolted on, you can ask for your local garage to weld the bolts to make it more difficult to remove.

– You can also etch a serial number on the converter.

– You can even purchase a ‘cage clamp’ or ‘cat guard’ which is a cage device that locks in around the converter.

– Speak to your dealership about the possibility of adding a tilt sensor that will activate the alarm.

– Ask your manufacturer or dealer if they can give you any other advice.

– If you see someone acting suspiciously under a vehicle, report it to the Police. Obtain as much information as possible, including any vehicle registrations.

For more information visit our website – http://ow.ly/cdAz50D6hjK

Visit the ‘Secured by Design’ website – http://ow.ly/lD6Z50D6hjJ

Remember: If you see anyone acting suspiciously near to your property or vehicles please contact the police immediately with as detailed a description as possible of any person(s) or vehicle(s) involved.

Please call ‘999’ if an emergency and urgent police assistance is required or 101 to report the matter to the police