The Day I Thought I Was Going to Prison

Spoiler: I didn’t. But for a brief moment, I was mentally packing a toothbrush and saying goodbye to my family.

I’ll set the scene: It was an ordinary weekday. I was mid-coffee, mid-email, mid-mum-life-chaos when the phone rang. A mobile number I didn’t recognise.

Curious, I answered.

“Hello. This is HMRC. You have been flagged for tax evasion. A warrant has been issued for your arrest.” Well, that was the crux of it but it was much more ‘professional’ and long-windedly (didn’t know that was a word) convincing than that.

Now, I know these scams exist. I’ve seen the documentaries. I’ve watched the clips where people fall for elaborate cons, and I’ve smugly thought, Reeeally?, how could you not know?

Turns out, when it’s your name, your address, your real details being read back to you by a very convincing voice, logic quietly packs its bags and exits stage left.

My thoughts, in quick succession:

Wait, what?

This must be a mistake.

Did I file my taxes wrong? (I even logged into my HMRC account in that moment to check!!)

Am I going to be handcuffed and escorted into the police van in front of my new neighbours?!

I am so firing my accountant.

I was this close to crying when something inside me whispered: Hang on, check the number.

I asked the “officer” for their name (Peter Hill, in case you’re wondering), and told him to call me back through the official HMRC line. Suddenly, he wasn’t so chatty.

I hung up, heart racing, and reported the number straight away.

What It Taught Me

Apart from the fact I’d make a terrible criminal (far too anxious), the whole experience left me reeling. Not just from the scam, but from the feeling. That vulnerability. That moment of fear. The awareness that this happens every day, to people who don’t catch on in time.

It also made me think - how quick we are to dismiss others with a flippant, “I’d never fall for that.” But when you’re in it? When the call is happening and the voice is calm and authoritative and your nervous system is in full fight-or-flight? It’s not always that easy.

And honestly, it reminded me how many people, especially women, are navigating life with so much on their plate, constantly second-guessing themselves. And in that moment of self-doubt? That’s exactly when these scammers strike.

Let’s Talk About Trust

This wasn’t just about being duped. It was about trust. How easily it can be shaken, how much of it we give away, and how powerful it is when we learn to rebuild it in ourselves.

So, no, I’m not going to prison. But I am more aware than ever of how important it is to:

Slow down.

Ask questions.

Trust your gut.

And for the love of all that’s good… never give your details over the phone.

Final Thought

This experience could’ve ended very differently. I’m grateful it didn’t, but I won’t forget how it felt. If it’s happened to you (or someone you know), you’re not naïve. You’re human. And those scammers? They know exactly what they’re doing.

Let’s keep talking about it, keep supporting each other, and keep strengthening that inner voice that says, “Actually… something’s not right here.”