Dentists are being warned about losing money to scammers whose tactics include well-rehearsed stories demanding tax payments.

The phony tales, delivered by phone, are known as ‘vishing’ and may include requests for thousands of pounds.

“If you are in any doubt about a request for money, don’t pay it,” said Heidi Marshall, a specialist dental accountant who issued the warning on behalf of the National Association of Specialist Dental Accountants and Lawyers (NASDAL).

She said one scenario involves dentists receiving calls from someone purporting to represent the ‘corporation tax people’. Dentists are then asked for a payment over the phone of £3,000 – or face a visit from bailiffs.

“Thankfully, our client refused and not surprisingly they never heard from the so-called tax people again.

“Another dental client received a letter recently demanding money to ‘pay for the publication of your company’. As he had recently incorporated, he assumed this was genuine, went online and made the payment. When he sent us a copy of the letter, we had to agree that it did look real, but unfortunately for this particular client, it cost him £190 – for absolutely nothing.”

Milsted Langdon knows that a busy practice means it is not always easy to stay on top of tax and other financial issues. That’s why we offer a dedicated service for the dentistry sector. For more information on how we can help, please contact us.